The Paths of Tribulation
by Daisuke Shadow Kitsune
Summary: post OotP, non HBP compliant After meeting a stranger and learning a lifealtering revelation, Harry goes beyond the veil that took his Godfather in order to rescue the only family he has left. But beyond the veil are many worlds, realities On HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter

**Warnings:** Violence, gore, language, possible romances on all fronts, or at very least hints at possible romances.

**Pairings:** Not yet certain if I want to have a pairing, you'll understand why once you read a few chapters in at latest. But I suppose that once he returns he could have one, meaning I'd have to develop the story of his world.

**A/N:** Okay guys, here is my newest work, hot of the printer. A little forewarning that this story is set up like a series would be. So as to prevent confusing I'll be grouping all the Series together in clumps. Just check out the Chapter Title. Example: 1a, 1b, 1c. Like that. Now onto the fic and PLEASE review.

**O.o**

Votes on romance.

Yes

No

You can choose if you, the readers, want to have romance in this tale.

**Prologue**

Fifth year had ended, leaving the Boy-Who-Lived cold. Not cold as in freezing, but cold as in his emotions have fled him. He felt no anger, no sadness, nothing. He felt empty. He felt as though his entire existence had been snatched away just as his beloved Godfather slipped through the veil. Slipped right out of the young man's life, leaving him alone; like water through his fingers.

"Sirius…" Harry Potter whispered on a light breath as he stared up at the cloudy sky above him while swinging back and forth absently on the park's swing set. "Sirius…" He voiced again, this time his words were accompanied by a lone tear that trekked its way down his eerily pale cheek. "Why are you gone?" He said, his voice sounding detached as he brought his left hand to catch the tear before he brought it up to eye level to inspect the crystal tear. "Why do I feel nothing?" He whispered as he let the tear fall, his jaded green eyes blank.

"People might think you are insane if you continue to talk to yourself." A male voice cut the fifteen, soon to be sixteen, year old out of his musings. "But I suppose you have much to talk about, whether the words are heard only by yourself or by another." The man commented as he plopped himself down on the swing to the boy's left.

"Who are you?" Harry asked calmly, green eyes taking in the black haired male beside, whose deep blue eyes shone like mysterious stones.

"Well… I've been called many different things throughout my life, any of which might be correct. The most commonly used one is Improbus Lucidusaum, but you may call me Lucidus for short." The man said with a cheerful flick of his wrist. "I needn't ask your identity though, for I know who you are."

Faster than one could blink, Harry whipped out his wand, leapt to his feet and looked coldly in at the man he was holding at wand-point. "Who are you?" He asked a second time.

"I just told you." The man chuckled as he brushed the wand away slightly, causing the dark haired teen to frown in frustration.

"If you won't tell me who your truly are, will you tell me your intentions?" He asked with an angry tone, which hurriedly brought forth shock. He could feel, he could feel his rage, his growing annoyance for the man sitting so relaxed before him.

"Well… I suppose one would say I came here to offer you a proposition." Lucidus said with a thoughtful expression as he tapped his chin. "Except this proposition doesn't benefit me at all, only you." He said with a frown, wondering how he was to explain this whole thing.

"What kind of proposition? Are you a Death Eater? Do you wish for me to come along with you to old Voldemort, prostrate myself before his grimy feet, while happily submitting to my death by his wand?" Harry asked condescendingly as he placed his wand away and resumed his spot on the swing.

"Not at all. Frankly, I want that bastard dead. A little Birdie told me there happened to be a prophecy, one that had been secure within the Hall of Prophecies, which spoke of one person who had the ability to kill Voldemort. And of course that person is you, Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. But that isn't all this little Birdie told me." He paused as the skies began to release a gentle rain from the heavens. "I also heard of a death within that Branch of the Ministry. Sirius Black, the escaped convict who was innocent of all charges was pushed through the veil in a duel against his cousin, Bellatrix Black."

"Who told you that?" Harry demanded hotly as he sprung to his feet fort a second time, his wand once again trained on the other person sitting with him in the rain.

"Jumpy little bloke aren't you." The man sighed as he shifted his long straight black hair out of his eyes, glaring momentarily up at the sky. "Sit down." He ordered, and Harry slowly complied. "Honestly, you need to relax a little kid. Anyways, as I was saying, your Godfather was killed within the Veil. Or so you all think."

"What do you mean by that Lucidus?" Harry inquired his interest piqued at the other's words.

"Precisely what I said is what I mean, you people believe that man to be dead, but I know a little secret that you don't know. That veil has been locked away in that ward of the ministry for ages because of what it could do back over three-thousand years ago, when it was still in the grasp of its inventors." He explained as the rain began to come down harder.

"I don't know how well you know your history, so just bear with me through my explanation. Three-thousand years ago lived a woman, a Dark Lady to be precise, and she did all within her prowess to cause suffering, strife, death and such just as the Dark Lord of this age has. And similar again was the fact that she had an enemy in a young boy, one who had the strangest abilities, yet through all the historical text, none of those abilities were defined.

"The boy and the Dark Lady clashed swords and wands together many times through their lifespan, and spent the last years of the First Dark War trying to off each other in a battle of life and death. But then the boy used one of his abilities, and summed forth a portal and called out an army from the land beyond, and thus came the Dementors from their Realm of Darkness.

"The Dementors knew nothing of this plain, yet were excited to be freed from their eternal hell, and thus offered their allegiance to their summoner, and gained the boy an ally far greater than all others. Within a year of their arrival, the Dark Lady fell, and her band of followers was slaughtered. Less then a month after that, the young man vanished suddenly, leaving behind his portal.

"The Dementors were left untamed in our world and reined their own terror upon mortals. But that is another tale altogether. But now I bet you are wondering what my little history lesson had to do with anything. Simple, that portal still exists to this day, the greatest mystery this world holds, and what does the ministry do with secrets?" He asked with a smirk.

Harry frowned, his mind reeling through all the data that Lucidus offered before his mind finally clicked. "They would stash it in the Department of Mysteries. In a room all by itself…." He trailed off his green eyes wide, as he readjusted his glasses.

"Correct. And I am certain your brain managed to piece together my words. The Ancient Portal that brought forth the Dementors is indeed the veil that stole your Godfather. It does not lead to Heaven, nor does it lead to Hell, but it leads to many different dimensions, each different and the same on various levels." Lucidus concluded.

"But… How do you know this?" The young wizard asked breathlessly.

"Simple. I am an unspeakable." The man said, sounding as though those words were all the answers one would ever need. "And it just so happens that I am the Head Authority upon that Veil."

"Let me go through!" Harry pleaded as he dropped to his knees before the man, green eyes filled with life and determination. "Please take me to the Veil; I want to get my Godfather back." He begged, eyes staring into Lucidus' eyes. His hope had been renewed.

Silence that was only broken by the steady pitter-patter of the rain, rose, the man and teenager stared at each other. One contemplative, the other determined. "Very well." He whispered causing Harry to leap to his feet with a great joy filled whoop. "But hold on, I have no way of knowing which dimension he fell into. Meaning you will have to cross many worlds, face many hardships, great danger if you want to even have a chance at finding the man."

Harry took on a serious look. "But sir, how would I get from one dimension to the next without a Veil?" He asked, knowing that it would be highly unlikely for him to have a Veil on hand each time he was finished in one world.

"I have a device, one that only activates once your task in one world is done. It is a tool of sorts, one that is linked to the Veil herself, and once it feels you have served your purpose in that world it will tap into the Portal's powers and jump you to the next. Of course this is all theoretical. Meaning I'm not certain if any of this is correct as I am just doing guess work while none of this has been tested." He concluded somberly, blue eyes sad.

"Are you willing to sacrifice your life, your future for a theory that might not even work?" Lucidus voiced softly, but Harry only nodded sharply.

"I will not die. Not by this, as only Voldemort can kill me. The prophecy will see to it that I live, and I will go through that Veil, and I will scour as many worlds as is necessary to find and rescue my Godfather." The last living Potter said with firm Gryffindor resolution.

"Alright then… But before we begin on this I have a few warnings, and words of caution that I must press upon you. Firstly, in these other worlds there may be doubles of people you know, even yourself, all of them having grown under different circumstances. For example, perhaps Dumbledore is the Dark Lord and Voldemort the Light Lord." He said with a wave of his hand.

"The Worlds beyond the Veil may just be twisted versions of your reality. They may not feature anyone you have ever met, or it may be a different time. All things will vary, and I urge you to use caution at ever turn, use your brain before you act or react. Learn all you can, do all you can." Lucidus said as he stood and stretched, his back cracking slightly.

"And remember, be discreet, hide your identity, use a false name." The man finished before he stuck a hand in his left pocket and withdrew a simple silver ring. "You have your wand, and once we reach my office I will further equip you with what you'll likely need. So all your worldly possessions that aren't on your person must stay." He said as he held the ring out in his palm while motioning for the other to touch it.

"Portus" Lucidus whispered before the two of them whirled out of existence from the park by Privet Drive, their sudden disappearance causing an old man under his umbrella to rub at his eyes.

"I am hallucinating… Fancy that!" The man whispered before going on his way humming merrily.

- - - - - - - -

Lucidus and Harry landed in a darkly furnished room, but the Teen promptly fell down upon their landing while the other man remained standing with a look of amusement across his face. "Welcome to my office Mr. Potter." Lucidus said was he moved behind a rich dark mahogany desk, and moved towards the glass showcase behind it.

Harry, thankful for the ultra soft plush rug, stood up, green eyes regarding the man as he reached right through the glass of the showcase, his hand slipping in as though the glass was but an illusion and withdrew and dark dragon hide bag and set it on his desk before motioning towards the chair for the other to sit while he took his own chair. "This bag is, as you can see, made of dragon hide, and is resistant to all magics and all the elements. Also it has a feather weight charm and an expansion charm on the inside." He explained before he snapped his fingers causing a House Elf to appear with a tray laden with tea, and biscuits before the little elf bowed and vanished.

Lucidus then lapsed into silence as he poured out two cups of tea and handed the first to his guest. "What does this bag have to do with other worlds?" Harry asked after taking a small sip at his tea.

"I figured you would ask that." The man sighed as he downed his tea in one go. "You will be a traveler; you will need a sturdy bag that won't be a hindrance. It is yours for this grand adventure. Inside is all I can give that you'll need, but I advise you not to open it while you are here. But here," He paused as he went into one of the many drawers in his desk and withdrew and golden dagger. "Prick your finger and let nine drops of blood hit this bag. That way should you and your bag be separated you'll be able to summon it with just a thought, even if you left it in the last dimension… I think." He concluded while pouring himself a second cup of tea.

"Thank you sir." Harry said quietly, feeling indebted to the man sitting before him.

"Oh hush now, I'm not done yet. First we will need to alter your appearance slightly, after all, two Harry Potters in one world might cause catastrophe." Lucidus chuckled as he swirled the dark colored tea in his cup.

Potter frowned. "How are we to alter my appearance?" Harry asked with a frown, his mind jumping to the polyjuice potion, before moving onto Tonks and her metamorphosis abilities.

"We are wizards kid." The man said with a small laugh as he plucked out a cheery wood wand, and looked at the boy across from him with serious eyes. "Lets see now." He mumbled as he twirled his wand absently in his hands.

After a good ten minutes of contemplation, Lucidus staring intently at the boy, causing Harry to squirm, passed, he finally nodded. "Alright, I have the perfect new look for you." He finished with a smirk. "May I proceed?" He asked, earning him a somewhat hesitant nod before he swished his wand several times, muttering incantations under his breath.

A tingling sensation raced through Harry. It was an inexplicable experience, one that swept through the young teen for ten minutes before dissolving. Harry blinked before looking up at Lucidus, only to see a great blur which caused him to reach up and remove his glasses as though to clean them, but once they left his face he could see perfectly. "What the—" He said in shock as he peered out his glasses to see the world blur again. "You fixed my eyes." He muttered as he set the glasses down on the desk top.

"Yes, and that wasn't the only thing that I fixed.' The man added as he motioned to a mirror off to the side, causing Harry to stand and wearily approach it.

He gasped. Before him stood someone that didn't look a thing like he did. His hair had been lengthened, reaching down to the middle of his back, and hung as straight as ever. His hair was tame, and when he brought his hand up to feel the locks he felt their silken quality and smiled as he looked on at himself in the mirror.

His face was more angular, his cheekbones slightly higher, lips fully, and skin way paler. But there was more yet, his eyes deepened in their intensity, shimmering like the most intense and richest of emeralds, and that little lightning bolt shaped scar of his was gone.

Harry was still slender, his features soft and flowing, making him look more beautiful and ethereal then he thought possible. With a sigh he noticed he was the same height as always, still his 5'7. A small smile played about his lips. His wish had come true. He had wished so many times to be someone other than Harry Potter, and now he stood a changed young man, looking not a thing like a before.

"With a new self a new name would be important." Lucidus' voice brought him out of his transfixed state. "Do you like the changes?"

"Yes." Harry answered honestly a sincere smile playing about his full lips. "Thank you. As for a name I guess I'll need a full name then?" He asked as he moved back over to the chair and sat back.

"Yes. Though I do suppose we should make it seem somewhat pureblooded as to not cause hindrances, but it can't be a big name, a small one, one that has been heard, but they haven't been seen for a time." Lucidus said as he tapped his chin. "Or you can assume the name of your Godfather; become a Black, for if memory serves me correctly you were his heir." He finished with a small frown.

"That works." Harry said with a small smile. "Archaeous Michail Sirius Black." Harry said after a long thought period, he knew most pureblooded families gave their children two middle names, the second one the name of either their Father or Mother, depending on the child's gender.

"Very well Mr. Black." Lucidus said as he withdrew a legal document and scrawled some things in blank placed before passing the paper and black feathered quill. "Just sign next to the 'X' your new name, and drop three drops of blood onto the parchment. It will make this identity true should you have blood or lineage tests." He explained and the boy slowly did as told.

Harry, now Archaeous Black, watched in awe as the paper glowed silver before vanishing. "How…" He paused before shrugging. "Can I go yet?" He asked as he stood.

"Not quite, I doubt it would be wise for a pureblood of the Black family to appear anywhere in the garbs of street urchin muggle." Lucidus chuckled before he stood and moved back to his showcase and reached past the glass and withdrew a package wrapped in brown paper. "Here." He said as he handed the parcel to the boy before turning his back and allowing the boy to dress.

Much fumbling, curses, a time later, Harry told the other he could look, letting Lucidus turn and regard the Boy-Who-Lived. "A perfect fit." The man complimented with a smirk. "Those are formal battle robes."

Harry just rolled his eyes before he moved over to the mirror to look over himself. His battle robes looked superb. The pants were a form fitting black dragon hide, which he found easy to move in due to some spell or other. The shirt was a simple button up, long-sleeved green shirt that looked and felt like silk, but was likely to be as strong as the pants in protection. Over that was a black cloak that bore a silver pattern on its base and was done up by silver clasps in the form of a snake.

On his feet were simple black boots, and on his wrist was a wand holder, which bore his wand. "Sir, why are there daggers and other mini muggle weapons concealed in this?" He asked before moving back to the still standing man.

"Simple, in a battle whoever has the greater advantage and slyest plan wins." Lucidus answered with a shrug before he tossed the dragon hide bag to the boy who deftly caught it. "Enough questions, lets head on over to the Veil." The man finished before he strode over to the door, Harry in tow.

Out the door, a set of clear steps materialized, swirling downwards into the room that bore the Archway that lead to other worlds. 'Sirius...' Harry thought sadly as memories flashed through his eyes as the two of them descended the stairs, which vanished once they were both off them. 'I'm coming, please wait for me.'

Together they approached the ominous Veil, the whisper of voices from its mysterious depths reaching their ears. "Are you ready?" Lucidus asked quietly as he held out the ring from before. "Here, this is that tool I told you of, don't worry about loosing it, it is spelled to stay on." He said before he pushed the other to stand before the Veil.

"Thank you." Harry whispered as he took a step forward, only to pause and look back. "Er, how did you have all this stuff here?" Harry asked as he motioned towards his new attire and bag.

Lucidus chuckled as he stepped forward and taped the dark haired young man on the nose. "That is a secret. One that only Time Herself can tell." He said with a wink before stepping back several paces, eyes staring into the green ones. "Take care kid, be strong and never give up on anything." He said as parting words.

Harry nodded before he turned back to face the Veil. With a deep breath he steeled himself, and with determination he strode forward into the Veil before vanishing for auditorium.

"Good luck kid… You're going to need it." Lucidus whispered before he turned and left the place, he had much work to do.

- - - - - - -

**End of Prologue** Well, this is the start of my newest fanfic, and my first try at a Harry Potter one.Thank you for having read theintro to this tale, and I can promise you that the next chapter, chapter 1a will be much longer.


	2. Twice the Doppleganger

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter

**Warnings:** Violence, gore, language, possible romances on all fronts, or at very least hints at possible romances.

**Pairings:** Still not certain if I want to have a pairing, you'll understand why once you read a few chapters in at latest. But I suppose that once he returns he could have one, meaning I'd have to develop the story of his world.

**A/N:** Okay guys, here is my newest work, hot of the printer. A little forewarning that this story is set up like a series would be. So as to prevent confusing I'll be grouping all the Series together in clumps. Just check out the Chapter Title. Example: 1a, 1b, 1c. Like that. Now onto the fic and PLEASE review.

**O.o**

**Romance**

**Yes 0**

**No 1**

**Chapter 1**

Darkness encompassed him, shrouding him in shadows darker then night, its hands caressing the young man gently, as whispered voices sang quietly around him, men women and combination voices could be heard, and yet he saw nothing.

"A Boy." A small female voice sounded out just above the rest, causing Harry to spin in place.

"A child yet…" A male voice added with amusement.

"He seeks something beyond his grasp." An androgynous voice added in, drawing forth more whispers that merged into a sweet melody.

"Let the child pass, his heart is pure and I have met him before." A female voice spoke up, her words as sweet as nectar. "He has much yet to do, mine eyes have seen as such." She finished, and Harry could have sworn he felt a loving hand gently brush his cheek. But it was gone as fast as it had come, leaving him alone in darkness, and silence fell.

"Beware child…" A male spoke up as something soft landed in his hand, something that he gently held. "Darkness haunts your footsteps…" A voice whispered in his ear, yet before he could respond light flooded out around him, blinding him as he closed his eyes, feeling his feet connect to something solid.

Wind, it washed over him. Song of birds swept over him. Grass, it gently tickled all exposed parts of his flesh. Green eyes slid open slowly, eyes blinking several times before Harry Potter slowly sat up, and looked around.

He was on top of a hill, a hill covered in emerald blades of grass. Birds of a multitude of colors flew through the skies. "Beautiful…" He whispered softly as he brought his hand up to brush wayward strands of his hair from his eyes. A suddenly tickling sensation on his face caused him to halt and pull his hand back to look at it.

There, in his palm sat a pure white feather, one that shimmered in the sunlight, making the bright, sunny, and clear day seem a little less bright. "A feather?" He asked himself with a curious look before he pulled the bag from his shoulders and opened it.

Reaching in he pulled out a black book with a self-replenishing quill, a wise move as it always had ink in it. "A journal… He must want me to keep a log of my adventures." He muttered to himself before opening the book to the first page.

'_The Beginning,_

_For that is where I now stand. Metaphorically speaking of course as I am presently sitting atop a great hill and the view of the lake beyond is quite lovely. The scents, the sounds, the sights, the texture, it feels so beautiful. Surely a world this bright, this beauteous is a peaceful one._

_This is the beginning of my most grand adventure; The Journey through the Plains Unknown. _

_Sirius, this is for you. I will find you, and I do hope soon. _

_And Lucidus, I do hope that you were right on many of those theories as I will be using them. _

_Enough of my rattling on pointlessly, I think it time for me to figure out where I am, and what the current standings of this world are.'_

With a small smile he closed the book and set the quill on top of it before setting it to his side. Next he withdrew a strip of leather, which of course caused him to blink, before he brushed the hair out of his eyes once more. "Duh!" He voiced aloud and would have smacked his forehead if he hadn't been in the process of pulling his hair back and securing it into a neat ponytail that rested at the nape of his neck.

"Archaeous Michail Sirius Black." He whispered aloud as he placed both the book and quill back into the bag deciding not to further snoop. "I like the sound it has…" He whispered with a small smile as he slung his bag over his shoulder and stood up, deep green eyes taking in the beauty all around him.

"Point me." He muttered as he pulled his wand out and laid it flat in the palm of his hand. The wand turned, its tip pointing off to his side. North was just that way, and judging by the present climate he'd gather that he was further South then he had been before, meaning Hogwarts, if it existed in this world would be somewhere up.

So north he turned, slowly descending the hill and entering a brightly lit forest that was thriving with wild life.

'_Another two legged...' _ A small voice spoke up causing him to turn, coming face to face with a snake.

'_Err… Hello." _Harry greeted, watching in amusement as the snake swung its head back in shock.

'_You ssspeak.'_ The tiny little black snake stated in surprise, long black and scale covered wings flexing in shock.

'_And you are a Wyvern.'_ Harry said with wide eyes that looked into intelligent silver eyes. _'My name is H- … Archaeous. It is a pleasure to meet you.' _He said with a slight inclination of his head.

'_A well mannered two-legged ssspeaker.'_ The tiny creature hissed with a nod of his own. '_I have no name. Let me go with you.'_ He hissed quietly, earning a nod of approval from the teen before he dropped from his perch and landed around the boy's neck.

'_Do you know where we are?'_ Harry asked as he gently ran his hand over the male wyvern's head, caressing the scales.

'_Yes… The outskirts of my Dragon cousin's lands. Will you name me?'_ He asked as his silver eyes bore into intense green.

'_Dragon… Romania! As for a name… Does Scycath suite your fancy?'_ Harry asked politely as he waved his wand summoned up a map of Europe.

'_Yesss…' _the snake, now dubbed Scycath nodded his agreement before he turned to look at the map that his master had procured.

'_Judging by the landscape, and forest that we are in now, I'd judge we are right near the Eastern border of Romania. We need to get here.' _he said pointing around the London marked dot. _'As far as I know the Knight Bus runs only up in this area… And I can't apparate…'_ He said with a frown as he absently tapped the map with his wand.

'_My cousins could help.'_ Scycath offered causing the boy to look at the snake with a strange smile.

'_Your cousins? As in the Dragons?'_ He asked, earning himself a nod. _ 'I suppose it is worth a shot. Are there any wild Dragon dwellings close by?'_

'_Yes. The closest one is that way, it takes me from the sun's highest point, to dusk to reach it. But I slither, and you walk, moving far faster than I could in my travels. You could make it there in less then half that time.'_ The snake hissed in response as he moved and curled himself around Harry's neck.

Without a second word, Harry walked forth. Heading in the direction that Scycath had mentioned. If he could get assistance from the Dragons, which would be highly unlikely, he could get back to London England quickly. From there he could check out his situation, and his standings. 'Blacks always like to make a good impression, what better way could there be but to ride in on a great Dragon.' He thought, smiling inwardly at the mental picture his mind supplied him with.

The journey to the Den of Dragons passed with idle chit-chat on nothing and everything, and, just like the small snake had said, the two of them arrived before a great area, filled with dragons of all sizes, breeds, colors and qualities. 'I wonder if this is even remotely similar to the dwellings that Charley Weasley tends to.' He thought quietly as he came to a halt several dozen meters away from the nearest dragon.

All eyes turned onto him, and his wyvern slowly uncurled itself from his neck, bumping its head against Harry's in a telltale sign that he should say something.

'_Err… Hi.'_ He greeted weakly in Parseltoungue as he waved his hand in a small greeting.

The ground suddenly began to shake as a great dragon, far larger than all those present, moved forward, the others moving to make him a path. Up close the dragon looked ancient; his scales a pale blue in color were scratched and worn, looking as though they had suffered many a hardship.

White eyes met green, and the young teen's thoughts were lain out before the great and ancient being. What felt like an eternity passed in less than a quarter second, and Harry took a stumbling step backwards, though refrained from falling as a small light pink colored dragon braced him with her neck.

'_She will take us to our destination.'_ Scycath said just as the pink one used her tail and scooped them up onto her back and opened her wings. She then took to the skies, her mortal passenger holding on for dear life as the winged being rushed forwards, the world blurring around them.

Time flew by, not a word was shared, and just as the sun set, and they landed swiftly and silently in a darkened alley right outside of the Leaky Cauldron. _'Thank you.'_ Harry hissed as he slipped unsteadily from her back and gently rubbed her nose in a show of gratitude.

She licked his cheek, before moving to her side and pulling off a tiny pink scale and holding it out to him. Slowly he took the precious pink gem like scale from her great jaw, once more whispering his thanks before she took to the skies and vanished with great speed.

'_A great gift that is. The Purity Dragons are near extinct, and a freely given scale from her hide is worth more than any treasure.' _Scycath hissed as he eyed the scale, making sure his master properly wrapped it before putting it inside his bag.

'_Scycath, my last encounter with a dragon involved me running and dodging for my life. Why wasn't I attacked at the dwelling back in Romania?' _Harry asked as he moved to the lip of the alley.

'_Dragonsss are ssssuch peaceful creaturesss. I can't sssee why one would attack you.'_ The black colored wyvern finished just as Harry pulled up all his knowledge of pureblooded nature and he calmly walked out of the alley and into the Leaky Cauldron, drawing many eyes to himself. It looked as though he had just encountered the first difference that this new world had to offer. Tame dragons.

Whispers rose around him as he passed through the pub and out the back alley way, where he used his wand to tap the necessary bricks. The bricks began to move, realigning themselves into a perfectly arched archway which leads to a bustling Diagon Alley. _'Welcome, Scycath, to Diagon Alley, London.'_ Harry hissed quietly as he proceeded into the magical dwelling, earning him many glances and more whispers.

'_The air tassstess funny.'_ The young snake commented as he flicked his forked- tongue from his fanged jaw. _'Tingly.'_ He elaborated softly after a moments thought. His hissed words bringing a small smirk across the young teen's lips.

Harry chose to forego a response, knowing that if he were to speak Parseltongue and be over heard, that mass panic would ensue. Or so he would gamble, but he couldn't know for sure seeing as this wasn't his home, even though he recognized many faces in the crowd and many wares in the same shops.

He followed the familiar route up to the crookedly standing building that was made up of the purest of marbles. "Gringotts." Harry muttered under his breath pleased that the building still stood in this realm, looking the same as ever, even that little poem to warn off thieves and trespassers remained the same.

"_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed,_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay dearly in their turn, _

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more then treasure there."_

He smirked, he had recalled that poem from his first visit to the Wizarding Bank, and he knew he would remember it through to his last. He silently ascended the stairs, his feet making seemingly no sound as it was muffled by the noise of the crowd at his back.

At the top of the stairway, a Goblin opened the door with a stern expression as Potter approached the top. Harry, deciding to make a good first impression, calmly bowed his head in greeting to the creature, storing away his shocked expression. "Thank you." He whispered as he passed the gold-loving creature and entered into the slightly less bustling Reception Hall.

Looking around, Harry spotted an empty teller that had a Goblin sitting behind the desk writing something on a piece of parchment with a quill that shone with equal intensity to many gems. He moved with calm determination towards the desk, inwardly burying all his nerves and unease. "Excuse me sir?" He spoke up politely drawing the cold and hard eyes of the Goblin to himself.

"May I help you?" He asked, sounding, bored and strictly professional.

"Yes," Harry said as he swung his bag from his shoulders and reached in, his hand taking but a few seconds to locate the key that he had a hunch was in there. "I'd like to visit my vault." He finished as he held the tiny golden key up and set it gently on the desk, watching in hidden amusement as the other hurriedly snatched the shiny golden key and examined it.

"Everything seems in order, Mr. Black." The Goblin said as he was able to tell with a glance just which pureblooded family it belonged to, while also, somehow telling the creature if the young man was indeed a member of that family. How he did it though, Harry had no clue, and he highly doubted he would ever learn their secrets.

"Griphook!" He snapped, causing a Goblin to hurriedly race over, stumbling once, earning him a stern look of disapproval. "Please escort young Mr. Black here down to his vault." He ordered, his subordinate simply nodding in understanding as he was handed the key and motioned for the boy to follow. And follow he did.

"Follow me please." The young Goblin said as Harry offered his thanks to the Teller before turning to follow the moving creature that took him towards a set of mine carts and told him to hop in.

The ride down was just the same as ever, and still he was unable to fathom how to discover the route and layout of the underground labyrinth of vaults, traps and passages. 'Maybe it's like Hogwarts' stairs, always moving, shifting and changing…' He thought absently as they came to a sudden halt outside of a massive door, one that looked far larger than his own vault back home.

Both of them slipped from the cart, neither one stable on the first step, the being moved towards the massive vault door and ran his hand in an intricate pattern over the solid entrance before he inserted the key and turned it, earning a loud echoing click as the door slid inwards, and lights suddenly flooded the inside. 'Holy crap on a Sunday stick!' He thought in shock before a nudge from his scaly friend had him moving forward and into the chamber.

Mountains of Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts stood in great heaping mounds, piles far taller and wider than Harry thought possible, and there were many of each. But that wasn't all that was there, oh no, there was plenty more.

At the back of the giant sized vault stood dark book shelves that towered up to the stone ceiling, and reached over the entire expanse of the wall. He doubted that even the Hogwarts' library held as many books as this vault did. But one never did know, well Hermione might but that might not be an extensive count as the school was notorious for secrets passages and who was to say that the library did or did not hold one of those?

He slowly moved toward the nearest money pile and went back into his bag before rummaging for a few minutes, before he found a Gringotts money bag. One that happened to have the same spells as his bag. With a small smile he shoved handful after handful of coins into his bag, making a considerable dent in three separate piles before he was satisfied he had enough to last him for a while. He didn't want to have to keep coming back after all.

He then replaced the money sack into his bag, thankful for the spells that made it light no matter what or how much was inside of it. Next he moved to the back, heading over to the shelves, green eyes scanning the books and titles, plucking interesting or useful ones from it, using his wand for ones he couldn't reach. And into his bag went more books then the boy had ever had before. "Hermione would be envious." He muttered with a chuckle as he slipped all the books into his bag and turned to leave.

He got one pace before he noticed it, causing him to stop and frown. The mounds of gold had hidden a glass showcase from him when he first entered, but now that he was on the return trip he could easily see it. His curiosity was rubbed and he made his way towards the shimmering glass case and peered inside.

Inside the case sat three plush and glorious pillows, but that wasn't what caused the boy to gasp. No, on top of those pillows sat three things. The left pillow bore the Signet Ring of the Black House. It was silver with a great emerald that shone with as much force as a diamond, and on its center, embedded in the precious jewel were tiny diamonds which formed the shape of a capital 'B'. Holding the green gem in place were two serpents, made with great detail.

On the right hand pillow sat a small black egg that was the same size as Harry's fist, but it wasn't an ordinary egg. Silver tendrils rose along the shell, making an 'S' shape at the center, before it twisted around and formed jagged wings on the thing's side. He hadn't a clue of what it was, but he found it beautiful and enchanting all the same.

But, the most captivating item of the three sat at the middle. He wasn't sure what it was either, but still it look so utterly surreal. There, on the pillow was a silvery wisp of light and pale smoke that swirled, and twirled in its place.

Harry brought his hand up to set it on the glass, but to his surprise his hand moved through the seemingly solid piece of melted sand. Slowly he withdrew his hand before reaching down and scooping up a Knut and lightly tossing it at the glass, only to watch as it hit with a ping and bounced off.

'_Archaeousss… What isss that?'_ Scycath hissed he slid down Harry's arm to get a closer look at the glass, moving his tail to touch to glass to see if it was solid for him. And it was.

'_I'm not sure.'_ Harry muttered as he brought his free arm back to the glass, watching how it surpassed the solid looking barrier. _'Must be magic. But… I think those artifacts will be useful.'_ He admitted, earning himself a snort at the magic comment… well as much as a winged snake could snort anyways.

Tentatively he plucked the ring from the pillow and slipped it on, watching as it resized itself to him. Releasing a sigh of relief, glad that the ring had noted he was the Black heir, even if he was from another world.

Next he gently retrieved the egg from its pillow and summoned up a silk cloth which he wrapped around it before placing unbreakable charms on it. Harry then looked back at the wispy thing, unsure how he was going to grab it, especially as it looked like his hand would slip right through it.

How right he was, just has he had expected, his hand passed through it, causing a tingling sensation to erupt in his hand where he was touching the substance. But what he didn't expect was the tingling giggle that rose with it, which caused him to immediately remove his hand, causing more giggling before the ball of wispy light floated up, out of its case.

It began circling him, making Scycath somewhat dizzy as his head followed the thing defensively. It did a good fifty laps before it came to a suddenly halt in front of the dark haired boy, still giggling before it shimmered and changed forms.

"Err… What are you?" Harry whispered as he watched a small creature floating on a cloud materialize.

"Me?" The little guy asked as it spun in place, large purple eyes looking around curiously while little antennae bobbed with every move the critter made.

"Yes you." Harry whispered in amusement having never before seen thing like him/her/it.

"Me." It said as it turned to face Harry. "I'm Sylph!" It declared proudly. "Guardian spirit assigned to the Black Family. But no one has called on Sylph, and Sylph was so lonely with no one to play with." Sylph admitted tearfully as it launched itself forward and landed on Harry's hand sobbing hysterically.

"Don't cry, I'll play with you, and so will Scycath." Harry offered soothingly, before repeating his words to the snake in Parseltongue. The male wyvern agreed, obviously curious of this new being, though he was also cautious.

The sobbing immediately stopped and the creature took to the air. "Really?!" It asked excitedly, eyes wide with quivering tears. The dark haired Boy-Who-Lived nodded earning a happy squeal from the wispy one.

"Do you have a gender?" Harry asked quietly as the critter appeared on his shoulder.

"Yup! I'm a girl! Can't you tell??!" She asked incredulously, before zooming around the teen's head. "And since you got Sylph out of her box, you are Sylph's new master!" She declared cheerfully. "It is my duty to serve all Black descendants, and since you got me out of the box you must be the latest heir." She summed up before suddenly stopping. "Do you have a name?!?!"

"Err. I'm Archaeous, and this wyvern is Scycath." Harry said by way of introduction, offering his finger for the critter to shake. And shake she did.

A good thirty minutes passed before Harry and his two 'pets' left Gringotts, reemerging on the streets of Diagon Alley. Sylph was sitting on Harry's right shoulder, looking around in silent awe, eyes and head only moving from their positions. Scycath on the other hand was absently wrapped around Harry's arm, hidden in the folds of his dark cloak.

Harry moved from the bank, and over to an interesting store where he momentarily gazed at the window display before entering inside, the door making a chiming sound. Flourish and Blotts was the same as ever, books lingering everywhere and people scattered here and there looking things over. 'Some things don't seem to change.' He noted silently before he moved towards the world history section, passing by a few Witches and Wizards that gave him a weird look.

He perused several titles under the History Section, eyes scanning titles. "Hermione… this is where I could use your help." He muttered absently as he plucked _'The History of Dark Risings 0-1992'_ it was likely the best he could do at this point in time, without Hermione there to help him.

He opened the book as he moved over to one of the many plush chairs that were placed around the area to allow customers to figure out if the book they found was the one they wanted or needed.

Harry flipped through the pages moving closer to the end, stopping on the year 1942. And from there he read:

'_Peace has flooded our great nation for many plentiful years, ones that not even the 'Witch Burnings' by muggles could darken. We have known no evil for many generations, but now a darkened shadow hovers over our heads. All the Seers have foretold great darkness to come, and now we feel it growing. It's tainted Blackness crawling at our skin, siphoning our magic reserves. Who or what dare hold such a blackened magic?_

_1945_

_Voldemort has risen, bringing with him calamity, death, suffering and despair. He and his army of Death Eaters are moving forward in the view of ridding the world of Muggles, keeping the blood pure and magic to only those of noble heritage. Such twisted views, so many deaths..._

_1947_

_The Light is plundered ruthlessly; the Ministry and Defense Groups are all suffering heavy casualties. Things look bleak for Wizarding Kind._

_With Halloween came the fall of Hogwarts, and death of Albus Dumbledore._

_The Light has been left leaderless, and how the children suffer._

_Hogwarts was now Voldemort's base of operation._

_1978_

_Voldemort, in his seemingly immortal glory, signed contracts with the Creatures of Darkness. They are his servants now, and in exchange for their servitude they are given free reign to feast, to kill, to maim._

_How the Children cry._

_1980_

_Unease rises in the Forces of Darkness._

_A Prophecy of a Savior has been formed, causing Voldemort –widely known as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named—to feel pressured, and in an attempt to remove any threat he began killing all children fitting the supposed description of the Child to Come. He killed any Wizard or Witch newborn that bore eyes more green then emeralds._

_He even went after the Potter twins._

_But there he met his downfall._

_Great mysterious and rumors circulate the event, yet it is well known that Voldemort had turned his wand upon the boys, casting the infamous Avada Kedavra, but somehow the spell rebounded, slaying the man and leaving the two identical babes with matching scars in the shape of a Bolt of Lightning._

_1981_

_Peace reigns once more._

_The Potters and their sons have vanished to train, while the Ministry reclaimed the Wizarding School, allowing the British children to once again resume schooling, free of pressure, free of suffering._

_1991_

_The Potter twins have started Hogwarts, how great they are._

_They even managed to defeat the invasion of Black Vipers, using quick thinking and clever spells._

_1992_

_Cyrus and Harris Potter have once again risen to their glory, this time rescuing seven students from renegade Moon Walkers in an epic battle that left many speechless. _

_Perhaps… just maybe they will be able to remove the cloud of looming darkness…'_

Harry blinked once, twice, then thrice. It seemed the book was just a summary, a non-descriptive one at that, telling of major points in historical events. He smiled at his luck. Maybe this world wouldn't be too much trouble.

"Dear boy." A woman's voice snapped his from his reverie. "You're eyes are such a lovely green.' A silver haired woman said with a strange light in her dark eyes, and a strange smile played about her weathered face. "Tell me child, what is your name?"

"Archaeous Black." Harry answered cautiously, green eyes unreadable.

"A Black!" She exclaimed, eyes wide. "Surely you jest child!" She said before spotting something shinning on his hand. "The Signet Ring of the Blacks…. Only to be worn by the heir!" She hissed breathlessly before rushing off, leaving a stunned teen in her wake.

But he didn't remain stunned for long. After all, he could hear her shouting about finding the Black heir. 'I think… I'm in trouble.' He thought with a sigh as the rumbling of many feet racing his way reached his ears causing him to turn heel and race down the isle, eyes scanning for a second escape route.

Through the shelves he could see many robe wearing figures race in the doors, causing him to pick up the pace. 'There!" He thought happily, spotting a fireplace. With a swift order, he had Scycath enter his bag and retrieve some Floo powder. Retrieve it he did.

Cries of 'Stupefy' rose in the air, causing red lights to crash along the walls around him, sending shelves falling, books flying and people screaming.

Harry reached the fireplace, pausing momentarily to toss the shimmering powder into the flames, turning them from red to green before he leapt into it, just out of the way of another stunner. "The Burrow!" He cried, vanishing just as five stunners crashed into the fireplace.

Harry's world span. His head felt light, and his stomach churned as though preparing to relinquish its hold upon his last meal. Just as suddenly as it began, it stopped, and he was hurled out of the fireplace, landing in a soot-covered heap. Green eyes opened to the sight of four wands trained upon his face.

"Err... Hi." He greeted lamely, as he regarded the wands cautiously, being careful not to move.

"Who are you?" A male voice demanded.

"Ha—Archaeous." The filth covered, boy wonder answered as he looked up to the voice that had spoken, eyes landing upon a familiar visage. 'Bill.' He thought with relief, his shoulders slumping slightly.

"Why have you come here?" Charley asked with a calm voice, yet his wand didn't once move.

"I got lost in the Floo network." Harry said quietly.

"Oh you poor boy." A female voice cut in, causing Harry to look to his left, at Mrs. Weasley who hurriedly rushed to the boy's side, brushing past two of her sons and her husband before kneeling at Harry's side. "Are you hurt?" She inquired with a worried tone.

"Only dirty, and I apologize but I've also messed up your living room." The Boy-Who-Lived said quietly, cheeks tinged red with embarrassment. "I've never been fond of Floo Travel; I always tend to wind up at the wrong place." He admitted, remembering his trip to Knockturn Alley, back in his second year.

"You're parents must be worried about you. Tell me, where were you headed?" She inquired softly as she waved her wand at the boy and the surrounding area, cleaning it without effort.

"My parent's were killed in the war, and my guardians could care less about my whereabouts. If I die they would be pleased, and I was trying to go to Diagon Alley, I needed some more ink and quills." Harry lied smoothly, while stamping down the guilt he felt at lying to Molly Weasley's face.

"You poor dear!" Molly exclaimed in horrified shock as she brought her hand up to her mouth.

"It's alright." Harry said softly his green eyes meeting the eyes of all the people gathered around him.

"Your eyes are so green." Bill stated with a frown. "What is your full name?" He demanded as he raised his wand yet again.

Harry sighed. "Archaeous Michail Sirius Black."

"A Black!" The Weasleys exclaimed simultaneously in shock.

"You lied to us! You told us that your parents are dead!" Charley stated darkly as he raised his wand along side his elder brother's.

"Well… I've never met my parents, and my relatives always told me that they were dead. Have you met them? Are they alive? Where can I find them?" Harry asked with wide eyes as he dropped to his knees in a begging position.

"Child… Haven't you read the papers?" Molly asked softly as she knelt beside the Black.

"No. I've been forbidden from doing that as well." Harry said truthfully.

"Don't you go to Wizarding School?" Arthur asked in curiosity.

Harry shook his head no.

"Well…" Molly began as she placed an arm around the teen's shoulders. "The name Black has been tainted in the time of your grandmother. And the taint spread to her two sons, presently only her heir still lives and he is as dark as they get. In fact, he is the right hand man of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He pretended to be on the side of Light and once he had gained their trust he betrayed them, killing many of the Order members." The matriarch of the Weasley family explained softly, worriedly taking in the teen's shock.

"That is my father correct?" Harry asked softly, earning a nod from the woman to his side. "What of my mother?"

"We never knew that he had a son, so I don't know who your mother could be, and I bet that your father doesn't even know you exist." Molly summed up with a worried glance over to her husband. "If the Dark forces were to learn of you… it would be chaotic. The Dark Lord must not gain a second Black." He concluded firmly.

Harry took a slow moment to digest the whole thing. "Dear, stay with us." Molly offered softly as she looked up to her husband and received a nod as the rest lowered their wands. "That family you live with seems horrid to you, and children are such precious creatures. We'll call up the current Headmistress of Hogwarts and get you put in there. After all, after having regained the halls of Hogwarts, it has been deemed the safest place in the entire Wizarding world."

Harry nodded slowly in agreement, before Arthur Flooed off to Hogwarts.

"I bet you are hungry dear." Molly said causing Harry's stomach to growl in its desire for food.

"Yes Mrs…?." Harry asked.

"Oh my! We have introduced ourselves!" The woman exclaimed in embarrassment as she flushed a red that was more intense than her hair. "I'm Molly Weasley. This is my eldest son, Bill." She said while motioning to the carbon copy of the Bill from his world. "This is my second oldest son, Charley." She motioned towards the other boy that was built in a buff manner. "And the man who just left is my Husband, Arthur Weasley." She finished. "And when you go to Hogwarts dear, you'll meet Percival Weasley, my third oldest son, the twins, Fred and George who are quite the little troublemakers. My youngest son, Ronald, and my youngest and only daughter, Ginerva." She concluded before ushering the black haired young man into the kitchen.

- - - - - - - - - -

"May I have your attention please?" The Headmistress of Hogwarts asked as she swept into the Great Hall, causing many eyes to rise from their dinners and friends, to look at the stern woman that was calling for their attention. "I have a surprise for all of you." She stated calmly. "We have a new student joining us." She stated before summoning the Sorting Hat just as murmurs and whispers rose from the students and staff.

"Please come in." McGonagall called, causing the side door to open, and a young man with long dark hair and battle robes to walk in. "This young man is Archaeous Black." She introduced, causing noise to rise in the students and teachers just as the young teen reached the woman and she placed the hat on the Black's head.

'Well aren't you an interesting person, but worry not, I won't expose your secrets. But I think it best to do as my counterpart wanted.' The hat spoke to the teen, so that Harry was the only one to hear the spoken words. "Slytherin!!!"

The Snake House clapped loudly, while scattered clapping came from the other houses as buzzing like whispers reached his ears, and eyes kept flickering to him as he removed the old hat from his head and handed it to the Headmistress before proceeding towards the table that had forever held his rival and many of his enemies.

"Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." A familiar voice spoke up from right beside the place that Harry had randomly chosen to sit down at. Green eyes snapped to the side, and landed upon his blond nemesis, or at least one who looked the same, save his hair was long and loose. Also he looked to be sixteen, meaning that the book he read at Flourish and Blotts had been a few years behind.

"Archaeous Black." Harry greeted in a pureblood fashion as he shook the offered hand just as the table filled with foods and drink.

"You look to be a fifth year." The Malfoy heir commented thoughtfully as he delicately dished himself small and equal proportions.

"Sixth." Harry corrected before copying the blond and putting small amounts of food he wanted onto his plate.

"Why did you transfer here, and from where?" A female that sat across from him inquired curiously, causing him to look up and see the familiar pug-like face of Pansy Parkinson.

"Because I needed a change of pace and I just came from Romania." Harry answered to the point.

"Is your father Sirius Black?" A male to Draco's far side asked, causing Draco to glare at his two housemates.

"Parkinson, Zambini please refrain from hounding our new housemate like a Gryffindor would." Draco said chidingly before he put a perfectly cut bite-sized piece of food in his mouth before chewing it twenty-one times then swallowing.

"It's alright, and yes he is as I am the current heir to the Black line." Harry answered as he flashed his signet ring to the other Slytherins.

"I've never heard of Sirius Black having a son." Nott piped up, earning him a shrug.

"I'm not sure he is even aware of me being alive. My mother was one of his pureblooded one-night stands." Harry said improvising.

"Who is your mother?" Daphne Greengrass inquired as she twirled her golden goblet.

"I haven't a clue. She died not too long after my birth, leaving me to be raised by her squib sister and her muggle husband." Harry said as he plopped a piece of meat into his mouth, and was sure to count twenty-one chews before he swallowed.

"Sounds absolutely dreadful!" Pansy said as she placed a hand over her heart in a fake sympathy expression.

"It wasn't too terrible. They simply locked me up and treated me like a House Elf." Harry said uncaringly, not even noticing the horrified looks directed at him from the rest of his new housemates that had just heard what he had said.

"I'm certain that your father would be livid to find he had a son treated like that." Draco added conversationally as he took a small sip of his pumpkin juice and silence reigned at their part of the table as they all proceeded to eat.

"Oh my!" Pansy exclaimed as she pointed at Harry, causing the dark haired teen to blink. "There is a snake in your cloak!" She shrieked in horror causing silence to befall the hall, and heads to turn towards the Slytherin table, to Pansy before following her sight path to the new student that did indeed have a serpent crawling out of his shirt.

"He is a Wyvern." Harry said into the eerily quiet room as he gently pulled his familiar out of his cloak and picked up a piece of meat with his fork before offering it to him. "And his name is Scycath." Harry concluded as Scycath snatched the offered meat from the metal utensil before swallowing it whole.

"You will fit well into Slytherin." Draco commented, his words causing the rest of the students to resume chatting, mainly about the new student, his familiar and his last name.

"I suppose we will just have to wait and see on that." Harry commented thoughtfully as he continued to offer his little scaled friend more pieces of tender meat, until Scycath was full and sleepy, letting him fly up and slither back into his cloak.

"He is a very beauteous creature." Draco commented just as he set his silverware upon his plate and dabbed at his lips with a white-cloth napkin.

"Don't tell him that, his ego is large enough as is." Harry stated off-handedly before he resumed eating his meal.

Severus Snape swept over to his House's table just as his newest addition concluded his meal. "Mr. Black, this is your new timetable." He said as he handed him a piece of parchment.

"Thank you professor." Harry said politely.

"I am your head of house, and I request your presence in my office later this evening after you are settled into your dorm. Mr. Malfoy is to accompany you." He concluded before he spun to the side and stalked out of the room, glaring at anyone that even looked at him if they weren't of his own house.

"That was Professor Snape." Draco explained before he elegantly stood from his seat and motioned for Harry to do so as well. Together they left the great all, both aware of many eyes upon their backs, including twin green ones that shone with great intensity yet held much curiosity.

- - - - - - - - -

"Enter." Called a familiar voice through the door, before Draco and Harry exchanged a look and entered inside. "You're earlier than I had expected." Snape commented as he looked up from his desk where he sat, grading some papers. "Did something happen?"

"Not at all professor." Harry answered with a nod of his head. "In fact my new housemates were most eager in assisting me get settled in." The Black and Potter Heir added, as he adopted an oblivious look, making it seem he wasn't sure why they were all so kind.

"I see." Severus said with a slight frown before he motioned for the two teens to take a seat in the two chairs conveniently placed before his desk. "Tea?" He offered, and began to poor out three cups after having received a nod from both young men. "I'd like to welcome you to Slytherin." Snape began as he passed the two of them their tea cups.

"Also, you should note that the Slytherin House is often looked down upon by everyone outside our house, and as such we are obliged to protect our own, and keep any qualms between our snakes hidden from other people. We need to appear strong and untied lest we be singled out by others." The Potions Master summed up before taking a sip of his perfect temperature tea.

"Now should you run into any difficulties what so ever, feel free to come to myself or my godson Draco. We will do what we can to assist you." He paused, black eyes boring into intense green. "Your timetable was made to match Mr. Malfoy's own, and as such he is to be the one to show you around." He concluded. "Now, unless you have any questions, you may go."

"Thank you for your time and tea Professor." Harry said as he downed the last of his tea and set the tea cup upon the table before he and Draco left the dark wizard to his own devices.

- - - - - - - -

"Welcome to Advanced Transfiguration Mr. Black." Professor McGonagall greeted after her class began. She looked as strict as ever. "But seeing as you are new here, we are presently unaware of your current level of prowess. As such you are to demonstrate your abilities to your professors so that we may decide whether or not you're suited to be taking our courses." She explained before motioning for the new student to stand and come up to the front. Harry obliged.

Harry moved from his spot between Draco and Blaise, up to the front where he stood before professor McGonagall, inwardly hoping he wouldn't make a fool of himself. "Alright Mr. Black, please transfigure this toothpick into a Teapot."

Frowning, Harry waved his wand, and watched in satisfaction as the toothpick grew and changed form, becoming an ornate teapot with intricate blue vines traveling its length. "Well done, now transfigure that Teapot into a kitten."

He frowned a second time before waving his wand and muttering under his breath, before watching as the teapot grew larger and furrier as it transformed into a tiny kitten of a grayish coat. "Excellent. Now make that kitten into something magical." She added in to be tricky; after all she was now curious.

Harry tapped his wand to his chin in thought as he ran over how he was going to do his newest task. He supposed that he could just use will power, as that was what he commonly used when he wasn't certain how to perform something, and that generally worked. He muttered under his breath before waving his wand at the purring little kitten causing it to transform into an orb. Not just any orb though. It began to hover mid air, giving off a faint glowing light as tranquil music escaped it. Inside was a miniature version of Hogwarts, with snow dizzyingly around it, and mini-people wandering from class to class.

"10 points to Slytherin." The Transfiguration Professor whispered under her breath in shock as she looked upon the orb that was far better than the muggle ones she had seen. This new student was strong. Perhaps a little crud in his spell movements, but the effects were nearly the same as the graceful spell casters.

"Is that all professor?" Harry asked as he swayed slightly in his spot, earning a nod from his professor before he wandlessly summoned the orb to himself and resumed his seat next to his housemates.

"I've never seen McGonagall gobbsmacked before." Blaise whispered to Harry, who cracked a slight smile as he relaxed into his chair, slowly regaining his energies, green eyes staring intently into the orb he had forged.

Harry wasn't certain why he made what he did, but maybe it was because he felt lonely. Perhaps that was why he could see a tiny werewolf roaming the forest's edge, followed by Prongs and Snuffles. He missed Remus and Sirius so much. He just hoped that the two of them were alright.

- - - -

_**Back in Harry's true world.**_

'_Mr. Remus Lupin,_

_I regret to inform you, that your honorary Godson, Harry James Potter, has run away from his relatives' home, and his present location is unknown._

_Now, I do realize that this would be a shock for you, but my guess is that he is of the impression that he can bring back one Sirius Black from the dead, and has left to do so. I have a solid hunch that he will return in due time, and I felt it my duty to inform you of this before that Order of yours does, and let you know not to worry as he will likely return as soon as he can._

_Anonymous.'_

A dark figure read over what he had just written before summoning a dark owl. The owl knew where to go, and once the letter was attached to its foot, the dark creature took to the night time skies. The figure then pulled out a blank piece of parchment and began to write a new letter.

'_Dear Albus Dumbledore._

_I have heard that you are in the market for a new professor to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts and I am interested. Inside are all my qualifications, please feel free to look them over, and send word back with my owl._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Christopher Von-Helsh.'_

A second owl, this time a light brown one, flew over to the dark figure and received the second letter. And just like the first, once the letter was attached, it took to the dark skies.

"Things are about to get interesting." A male voice whispered quietly as he tucked wayward dusty blond hair behind his ears.

"You are meddling." A deeper voice commented in exasperation, causing the first man to smirk.

- - - - - - - -

"50 Points to Slytherin for managing to produce such an excellent quality potion." Snape praised before he swept off to torment the Gryffindors. Harry found that he was more adept with potions when there weren't people hovering over his shoulder, nor someone attempting to pull him into quiddich or homework chatter. Maybe that was why he hadn't faired so well back in his own world…

"Class dismissed." Severus called, bringing about the end of the day's courses. Harry's 'first' day had gone smoothly for the most part. He only had issues in Ancient Ruins, which the professor had asked him to drop, leaving Harry with a spare when Draco had that class, but he was fine with that, and was also glad that Draco hadn't chosen to take Divination, meaning that Harry didn't have to continue that course. It was sort of depressing.

"How does it feel to have survived your first day here?" Draco inquired conversationally as he, Harry and Blaise left the dungeons after having cleaned up their work stations, and were proceeding to the Great Hall for supper.

"I wouldn't know; the day is not yet through after all." Harry commented as they slipped into the dinning area, but he didn't get far before he felt a hand on his shoulder causing him to whip around, his wand out at the perpetrator.

"Such reflexes!" A green-eyed, Gryffindor commented, as he looked at his double.

"Indeed. Surely he must be a trained Wizard!" The twin added as he placed a hand over his heart in shock.

"But look! His eyes!" The first commented as he tucked his left hand into his pocket.

"They are green!" The second exclaimed dramatically.

"Potters! Stop harassing your superiors." Draco sneered, causing Harry to blink. 'Potters?' His mind froze. After looking more carefully, he noted that before him were indeed replicas of himself, of his old self to be more precise.

"Now, now Malfoy. We mean no disrespect, it's just his eyes!" Cyrus Potter said soothingly as he withdrew his hand from his pocket.

"He's right love! They are such a beauteous shade of green." Harris added onto his brother's point, and both of them nodded simultaneously.

"And so rare!" Cyrus continued nonplused by the glare that the Malfoy was directing at him.

"We thought that old Moldy-Shorts had eliminated all kids our age that had green eyes." Harris said somberly as he wrapped a comforting arm around his brother's shoulder.

"But I suppose that even the great Dark Diaper-Wearer could over look a few. Especially a Black!" Cyrus muttered as he leaned into his twin's comforting embrace.

Harry started chuckling. His chuckles then turned to full blown laughter, tears escaping his intense eyes. Everyone watched him wearily. "You two are hilarious." Harry admitted after having caught his breath, leaving his cheeks flushed. "I'm Archaeous Black. A pleasure to meet you both." Harry concluded as he held out his hand.

Cyrus and Harris exchanged a shocked look before Harris leapt forward and began shaking Harry's hand like a madman. "Pleasure to meet you too! I'm Harris Potter, the youngest and most desirable." He said by way of introduction, only to have his elder twin shove him out of the way.

"And I am Cyrus Potter." The other began as he kissed Harry's knuckles, causing the teen to blush. "I am the eldest, and the most enchanting." He finished before slowly releasing the dark haired teen's hand.

"Potter One, and Potter Two, I warn you to leave Archaeous alone." Draco growled threateningly as he grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him over to the Slytherin table, Blaise hot on their heels.

"Well… He was more pleasant then usual." Harris commented offhandedly before the Golden Duo moved over to their own table with a shrug.

"But Archaeous seems so interesting." They said in sync before bursting into chuckles.

- - - - - - - -

"You've got to watch out for those Potter twins, once you catch their fancy they won't leave you alone until they find a new toy to torment." Blaise said in a sagely manner while nodding his head. "I remember in first year they were obsessed with Draco, believing him to be a male veela. It lasted for the majority of the year before Draco here snapped and tortured them under the tickling charm."

"Blaise…" Draco began in a calm manner before he pushed Blaise's face into the bowl of potatoes. "What have I told you about bringing _that_ up?" He asked in a sweet tone as he released the other boy and sat down gracefully, ignoring all the stunned looks directed at the duo.

"Hogwarts sure is an interesting school." Harry commented thoughtfully as he served himself some food, absently watching as Blaise extracted his face from the bowl of potatoes and spelled himself clean before glaring at the blond aristocrat that was eating unfazed in his seat.

"If life were dull it wouldn't be worth living." Draco commented thoughtfully just as Harry began to reach for his goblet. But his hand never reached it.

'_Scycath.'_ Harry said suddenly causing the whole of Slytherin table to freeze in wide-eyed shock that slowly moved to the rest of the school. _'A thought just occurred to me.'_ He began just as Scycath slid from the teen's cloak. _'I think you ought know I'm a dimensional traveler and my means of transportation might not allow you and Sylph to come along with me to my next destination. I want you to know this, as I wouldn't want you to worry should I suddenly vanish. And if you have a means to, could you tell our little spirit friend… I think I've gathered enough strange looks already.'_ Harry concluded before he looked around with a blush.

"You're a Parselmouth." Draco breathed in awe, causing Harry to blush and push his hardly touched food away.

"I know." Harry said quietly before he stood, his green eyes upon the ground before he slipped out of the hall at a relaxed pace, one that shifted once he was beyond the eyes of everyone. He ran. He ran to the doors and out onto the front steps of Hogwarts, flying down them like a bat out of hell.

Harry raced across the front lawn of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was embarrassed and slightly perturbed, unsure what it was that made him suddenly speak the snake-tongue in the crowded Great Hall, he could have waited for Scycath and he were alone.

"Generally when you run like you are means that something got under your skin." A voice from the near tree-line spoke up, causing Harry to skid to a halt, green eyes moving to look for the familiar voice.

The teen didn't need to wait long before a man stepped forth from the shadows of the Forbidden Forest, his black robes billowing majestically behind him. Blue eyes clashed with intense green. "You must be Archaeous." The man spoke up. "Your eyes are just too green for you not to be." The man said by way of reasoning. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Sirius Black, the Right Hand to the Dark Lord. And judging by that ring I recognize so well, I'd say that I am also your father." The man concluded before walking towards the petrified looking young man.

Sirius circled the boy slowly, taking in his appearance before coming to a standing halt before the boy, eyes meeting once again. Harry on the other hand was cold and frozen. Before him stood Sirius, a man he had believed to be dead, but yet this man, wasn't his Sirius. This man was nothing more than a carbon copy, well; the man might have a few qualities similar to his Sirius…

"You are what I would have expected any son of mine to look like." Sirius said quietly before he slowly placed his large hand upon the teen's shoulder. "Well, not the eyes, as I had hoped they'd match mine." He added with a playful smirk. "But otherwise you have indeed inherited the good Black looks, and they mixed well with the looks of your mother, whoever she was."

"Uhh…" Harry began eloquently, causing him to blush. "Sir…" He began anew. "I am curious as to why you have come." Harry concluded, his cheeks growing hotter.

"I came to see if these rumors of my son and heir were true, and imagine my surprise when I saw you race from that castle." Sirius said before he frowned. "Why did you run from that castle?" He inquired in a somewhat worried fashion.

"Well… I accidentally spoke Parceltongue whilst in the Great Hall, and I needed to get away from the stares." Harry answered as he looked down at the ground.

"You speak a noble language then." Sirius said after having sucked in a sharp breath. "But why did you speak it?"

"I needed to tell Scycath something." Harry explained before he reached into his cloak and withdrew his dark Wyvern, earning him a wide-eyed look.

"Well, aren't you a shock and a half." Sirius chuckled before he reached forward and gently pet the black serpent gently. "Where did you find such a divine creature?" Sirius asked in pure curiosity.

"Romania." The teen answered automatically.

"My son, you would make the Dark Lord proud." The man announced with a proud smirk. "Come! We must initiate you immediately into his services!" He said as he grabbed Harry's wrist before reaching into his pocket and activating an emergency port key before Harry could open his mouth to protest.

With a tug like sensation behind his navel, Harry and Sirius were pulled along in a whirl of colors and wind. Just as fast as it had begun it ended, and Harry would have fallen if not for the grip that Sirius held on him. "Sorry about that, I suppose I should have warned you about how we would be traveling." He said sheepishly as he released the teen's wrist, allowing Harry to look around.

"So I take it that the rumors were true." A familiar voice said behind Harry, causing him to whip around. Behind him sat the revived form of Lord Voldemort. "He looks as though he has much promise too." The snake-like man said with a chuckle as he noted the wand in the teen's hands.

"Tonight is a night for much celebration. A new Black within our ranks is an incredible thing after all. A miracle none of us had expected." Tom added with a smirk before he stood.

"My Lord, I am honored to present to you my son, Archaeous Black." Sirius said with a deep bow to his Lord.

"Rise my dearest knight." Tom Riddle said with a small nod, his eyes locked solely upon the teen. "I see that even the rumors of your emerald eyes were true. I think we can expect much greatness from you."

Harry stood there, unsure what to do. Slowly he slipped his wand into his cloak, while his now free hand moved to pet the hissing wyvern in his arms.

"Come forward boy." Voldemort ordered softly, crimson eyes lacking the usual hate they held when Harry normally saw them.

Hesitatingly Harry stepped forward, moving until he was a mere meter away from the double of the man who had caused him so much suffering. "Come closer so that I might mark you." The man ordered with an amused look as Harry hesitated before remaining where he stood.

"I have no desire to take a mark upon my arm." Harry said in defiance, earning him twin shocked expressions.

"You dare go against me?" Voldemort hissed as his eyes narrowed.

"Yes." Harry said softly, his eyes sharp and unflinching.

"Insolent boy!" The Dark Lord seethed before drawing his wand in one swift move. "Crucio!" He snarled darkly, catching the teen off guard.

Harry screamed, and he writhed on the dusty ground. The pain! It burned! It swept through him like burning coals through his veins and knives piercing ruthlessly at his flesh. It was pure hell. But it only lasted a short few seconds that felt an eternity.

He was released from the spell, and he lie in a heap on the ground, panting heavily while staring up at the ceiling, hardly hearing the words his wyvern hissed to him.

"Will you now take the mark?" Voldemort question in a soft voice as he looked down at the trembling young teen,

"No." Harry whispered quietly, green eyes filled with determination as his breathing slowly returned to normal.

"Why do you wish to defy me, son of my greatest warrior?" The Dark Lord asked in curiosity as he returned to his throne and gracefully sat down.

"You destroyed my life." Harry answered in all seriousness as he pushed himself to his feet, his body trembling slightly due to his abused nerves. "I am… what you made me to be."

Voldemort frowned as he tapped his fingers against his armrest. "How did I destroy your life? How did I make you that which you are?" The seemingly immortal man questioned in a thoughtful manner.

"You stole the man who is my father. You needlessly murdered my mother. Because of you I was raised by muggles that thought me to be less than a common House elf. You are the reason I suffered through so much." Harry said darkly, his green eyes sharp with hate.

The Dark Lord chuckled. "The darkness inside of you is endearing. It thrills me so." He admitted as he licked his white lips. "So why does one born and raised in darkness hate the master of the blackest shadow?"

"You are no master. The Dark knows no ruler. She can not be tamed." Harry said with a confident smirk as the man before him slammed his fist down upon his throne.

"He's right you know." A voice from the shadows said conversationally, as Harris and Cyrus Potter emerged from beneath twin invisibility cloaks.

"You can't tame the Darkness, after all She is a she, and we men know that all women are fickle creatures." Cyrus said with a polite nod to Harry while his twin flipped off the Dark Lord.

"Sorry to crash this party, but our dear Slytherins are worried about their newest snake, and we, the foolishly brave Gryffindors that we are, have come to find the lost hatchling and return him to his nest." Harris explained as he and his brother drew their wands at the same time that Voldemort stood with his wand in hand, and as Sirius stepped forward wand trained at them.

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort hissed as he launched the green light at the nearest of the twins, only to have his own throne summoned before the light. It was blasted into thousands of pieces, flying each and every way.

"Not the greatest of hosts now are you?" Cyrus admonished with a sigh as he and his twin began the dance of spells.

Colors and voices clouded the chamber, great lights and explosions following at each turn, as Harry, Harris and Cyrus began casting spells together, working like a team well practiced. The Dark Lord and Sirius fought back, smirking as more and more Death Eaters trickled in, to completely surround their prey.

"Just surrender. Give up!" Voldemort cackled above the battle. "Join me Archaeous and I will forget your impudence!" The snake-man offered with a tone of superiority.

"I wouldn't join you even if you could offer me the universe on a silver platter!" Harry snipped back as he launched a cheering charm at a random Death Eater, completely incapacitating him.

"Insolent whelp!" Voldemort shrieked, casting the green light at the dark haired teen, only to have him vanish. But his spell continued forward, striking Sirius Black in the face, killing him instantly.

- - - - - - - -

**End of Chapter **That's it for this chapter/story line! Thank you for reading, and please Review!


	3. Complicated Webs, Part 1

**Chapter 2a**

Harry landed hard on stone floors, his breath escaping him, leaving him momentarily stunned while lying on the cool floor. _'Archaeous… are you injured?'_ Scycath hissed, causing Harry to jump in a startled manner.

'_I'm fine Scycath.' _Harry whispered as he caught his breath, intense emerald eyes looking at his serpentine familiar. _'I'm just surprised you had made it through, that was why I said good bye, just incase you couldn't come with me.'_ He explained as he sat up, taking in his dark and gloomy surroundings.

'_I told you that nothing could separate usss.'_ The young wyvern chuckled as only a snake could before slithering up his master's arm, moving over to the young man's shoulder to prod at the shimmering wisp of silvery light. _'The giggling puff ball isss here assss well.'_ He added, while watching in amusement as the small creature regained its form before swirling around in curiosity, eyes wide, yet he remained silent.

"Who are you?" A female voice demanded, startling the three new arrivals. "No one is supposed to be down in here." The woman continued as Harry turned to look at a sagely looking old woman, whose eyes looked somewhat familiar.

"I'm lost." Harry summed up as he drew out what he hoped was a shameful look. "Could you help me out of here?"

She sighed. "I do suppose I'll have to. I can't let little children run rampart through such dangerous ruins." She said before offering her hand to Harry, and the boy took it, noting the feel of wrinkled leather that was here skin. "Eleanor Weasley." She introduced, while shaking the young man's hand.

Harry shook her hand, while stamping down on the annoyance that had risen in him on the 'child' comment that had been directed at him. "Archaeous Black." He said in return, green eyes studying the Weasley he had never seen before, wondering if she was Ron's Grandmother, or something like that.

"A Black." She whispered with a sharp look in her eyes as she turned her eyes to the ring on his hand. "I could have sworn they died out centuries ago." She muttered as she pulled his hand higher up to her eyes, where she squinted closely at it. "I could have sworn the last Black, Sirius Black, died back three-thousand years ago. I never knew he sired a son, which he must have done produce a male heir bearing the Most Ancient and Noble name of Black." Eleanor muttered as she released his hand.

"Three-thousand years ago?" He asked, curious, and unsure of what the woman was going on about.

"Oh my! Hasn't your parents told you the story of the Black Knight, protector of the Savior?" She asked in shock.

"My parents died when I was just a baby." He answered quietly.

"Oh you poor dear!" She gasped before suddenly drawing the teen into a bone cracking hug. "Growing up without your parents is such a tedious and horrendous thing." She said quietly as she kissed the top of Harry's head before pulling back. "But I suppose that you are entitled to know the last actions of Sirius Black.

"Sirius was the Savior's Godfather. The one, who rose, taught and protected young Harry Potter. When the boy was but seventeen, the Dark Lord suddenly attacked Hogwarts, the old Wizarding School, and it fell in the epic battle that lasted three days and three nights. In that battle, the light lost Albus Dumbledore, the man who had been victorious over the Dark Lord's predecessor. There was said to have been so much blood, and many had died, including Sirius Black, after he had single handedly taken down two-hundred Death Eaters.

"It was in that very battle that the Dark Lord landed a ghastly blow to Young Mr. Potter. That snake of a man had struck the boy in the back while he turned to catch his fallen Godfather." She explained, her eyes dark with sadness. "The Savior was mortally wounded, and just as he was about to be dealt the killing blow, Severus Snape raced forward, port keying the two of them to safety. But it was too late. No medical personal had what it took to heal the dying boy and as such, Hermione Granger--bless her soul—placed a time freezing spell on her best friend.

"She froze him in time, and the Order of the Phoenix placed him in a sarcophagus, whisking him away, and hiding him from the Dark Lord, while medically trained members worked on a cure." She paused sadly. "But to this day that young man hasn't opened his eyes so much like your own, nor has he breathed a single breath.

"Only the members of the Order know how to find him, and the Dark Lord seeks his adversary's body. Claiming that the key to his everlasting immortality is killing the boy, but he has lived for so long, that his reasoning seems so false.

Harry stood there is disguised shock. He had no idea that he had landed so far in the future, not to mention that he, his past self had been made immortal, yet unliving. It was rather unnerving. "Some even speculate that the boy had died during the battle, and that his eternal sleep is naught but a rumor. But I believe he will come back, as does my elder brother and his family." She concluded as she looked to the side, her blue eyes holding hope.

"I've heard tales of the Order of the Phoenix." Harry admitted quietly, his heart feeling heavy at the thought of so many deaths. "And if memory serves me correctly, the Weasleys were proud members of it." Harry said thoughtfully. "This leads me to think that you are a member as well." He concluded, intense eyes locking onto the old woman's wide ones.

"My, what a perceptive one you are." She whispered with a small smile. "Perhaps this is what the Black Knight was once like." She murmured, eyes drifting to the side, falling upon the floating spirit guide.

"I see you have a friend… or two." She noted, eyes flickering between the Guardian Spirit and the Wyvern. "Today seems a day of many impossible things becoming true." She chuckled in amusement.

"Why do you say that?" Harry inquired curiously.

"Simple dear boy. First, the appearance of the much coveted Black blood. Second, a Wyvern, one of the breeds that had been annihilated by the Dark Lord because they had refused to submit to his will. He had bragged about having wiped out the entire species, letting the world know that the most powerful of serpents had been destroyed because they failed to join him. And third, the Guardian Spirits have vanished from this plain with the fall of the Savior." She concluded thoughtfully as she rubbed her chin.

"Err… This freeze spell that was used, did Hermione invent it?" Harry inquired curiously, brain piecing together as much information as he could. He was smarter than people thought.

"Correct, she did, and no one after her has even managed to procure it. She was a strong witch." Eleanor sighed dramatically. "Her notes are the with Snape heir, while Mr. Potter himself is hidden even from myself, for only the most elite of the Order know hints at his true location. Only Lady Lupin knows his exact whereabouts."

She motioned for Harry to follow her, and they began moving along the dark passage way. "I'm certain that Lady Lupin would love to meet you." She admitted after several minutes of silent walking. "To think, the Heir of Black has returned!" She said with a lop-sided grin just as a long set of stairs materialized from the darkness. They both ascended the stone stairs, walking for a good twenty-five minutes up, idly chit-chatting.

It had taken some time, but slowly the stairwell grew lighter and lighter, and soon enough the two emerged into daybreak, walking out of the stone entrance way and into an area best classified as a wasteland. Nothing lived beyond them. But it seemed familiar somehow…

"Horrid place isn't it?" Eleanor asked as she noted the boy's look. "But once it was a majestic place, flowing with magics and life. But war does this to things. It corrupts, and perverts things, leading them along the path to destruction." She said with a weary sigh.

"Oh but a thing like this is quite beautiful." A crisp male voice cut through the silence, causing both Harry and Eleanor to spin around to look at the figure in black robes that stood atop the stone stairwell entrance. In his hand was a worn looking wand, trained on the boy. "Weasley, haven't you croaked yet?" The man asked in annoyance.

"Are those the only words you can grace me with Malfoy?" She snapped in retaliation, her aged hand slowly moving towards her side. "From my understanding you and your family have been cursed for many generations in the use of poor insults and lack of wit." She said coldly, eyes trained on the man's wand.

"Be silent Blood-Traitor." The Malfoy hissed venomously, his silver eyes alight with malice. "I haven't the time to exchange pleasantries with the likes of you." He snapped sharply. "Tell me where that vile woman leader of yours is! And who is this boy?" He inquired curiously.

"I am no traitor, nor am I a traitor to those who have earned all I have bestowed upon them Malfoy. As for pleasantries, I didn't know you could even be remotely pleasant." She said with a ghost of a smile on her lips. "And that is Lady Lupin to you, you foul waste of space. As for this boy…" She trailed off to look at him thoughtfully out of the corner of her eyes, causing the man to even look more closely at him.

"I thought it was against that order of yours to employ children among their ranks." Malfoy hissed with a malicious smirk. "This leads me to think he must be important to you all."

"As idiotic as ever Malfoy." The woman sighed. "This boy is not a member of the order, simply a lost child I found lost within the ruins." She said with a sigh, omitting the boy's name.

"That is highly unlikely." The man huffed in annoyance, silver eyes glaring in a mocking fashion at Harry, taking in his rich attire and stance. He looked like a high-bred pureblood, and he held himself like one. But that was when he saw something move about the boy's neck. A Guardian Spirit.

Malfoy paled dramatically. "You have revived the boy." He said quietly, stunned wide eyes studying the boy. "You are Harry Potter!" He hissed in shock as he took a step back, but this only caused the woman to break out in amused laughter.

"This child in not Harry Potter, he is not the Savior." Eleanor chuckled, having not noticed the boy's tense shoulders. "His name is Archaeous." She said while she inconspicuously withdrew her wand and hid it swiftly in the folds of her robes.

Malfoy hastily regained his composition, eyes narrowed. "If the boy is not a Potter, just what is his surname?" He hissed, wanting to know the child's identity.

"Black." Eleanor answered with a smirk, causing the Malfoy to pale once again.

"That isn't possible. It is a fact that the last Black fell at the hands of my ancestor, Lucius Malfoy." The man hissed with pride. "That whelp could not possibly be who he has tricked you into believing." He chuckled. "You have grown senile you old hag."

"Senile, well that is a possibility. But my eyesight has not once failed me." Eleanor said pleasantly as she looked back at Harry with a look that asked him to trust her. Slowly, she grabbed his arm and raised his hand, bringing the boy's hand into sight. "Surely a Malfoy who brags of purity and ancestry would recognize what it is." She said as she tapped the signet ring.

"A signet ring." Malfoy answered with a roll of his eyes, learning what he had already known; that the boy was pureblooded. Silver eyes then studied the ring just to mock-humor the woman, but he recognized the ring. It was after all apart of the ancestry that he had loved and cherished. "The Black Signet ring…" He clarified quietly his eyes wide. "That isn't possible!" He whispered sharply.

"I have traced my ancestry back; all the true-born Blacks had died out. And as is Wizarding tradition only the eldest child of the heir can claim the lordship of that family. The Black heir died a blood-traitor and he had no son." He said quietly, eyes locked onto intense green.

"I never thought in all my years that I would see a flabbergasted Malfoy." The woman chuckled.

"I apologize for my rude interruption." Harry cut in, careful to act as he had seen many of the purebloods of his world do. "But I see no importance in the discussion of my plausible or implausible lineage." He said, inwardly in a rage over the fact that they had spoken of him as though he hadn't been there the whole time.

"Oh but it means a lot. The return of the Blacks." Malfoy chuckled. "And you must be quite strong to have a Guardian Spirit with you, especially since all the Spirits vanished with the fall of that Potter brat." Malfoy said with a smirk as a sudden wind whipped his pale gold hair to the side. "My Lord would be most interested in you." He said dementedly. "Come with me boy, I shall take you to meet the Dark Lord; ruler of this pitiful world." The Malfoy offered as he extended his wand-free hand.

"Firstly Mr. Malfoy, I am no boy. Secondly, I wouldn't serve that vile thing you call a master no more than I would lower myself to your standards." Harry said crisply, glad for an opening he could use to vent his rage. "Thirdly, your master wouldn't wish to keep me among the living, and I have ever the inclination to stay alive." Harry concluded with a razor-sharp glare.

Malfoy glared as he pulled his arm back. "You will regret your words boy." He hissed darkly. "Crucio!" He yelled as he blasted one of the three unforgivables at the boy who would defy him and his master without batting an eye.

In a flash, Eleanor hand her wand out and had cast a shimmering blue shield which repelled the curse back towards the Malfoy who leapt to the side, causing it to crash into a high standing dead tree. It crumbled. "My Lord will see to your end personally you insolent whelp." He sneered before apparating away with a loud crack.

"Well that was fun." Eleanor stated cheerfully. "By the way; I loved how you totally blew his cauldron off the fire." She giggled. "Come child, I'm certain that Lady Lupin would be even more interested in meeting you now that you have defied the right hand man of the Dark Lord." She said before holding out her hand and he slowly took it, before they too vanished with a crack.

- - - - - - -

Harry fell to the ground for a second time in less than an hour. Gravity in this realm sure wasn't overly fond of him it would seem. Slowly he got to his feet and looked around. "Where are we?" Harry asked as he wiped dust and dirt from his frame, as he looked around the dark and green forest that they were in.

"The Forest of Darkness; the only place that the Dark Lord would never willingly enter." Eleanor answered with a chuckle. "Also, the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix." She responded with a nod. "But I couldn't apparate you inside due to the wards so we'll have to walk for a little bit." She explained before leading the way through the winding forest path.

"Tell me, is the Order big?" Harry inquired in an attempt to break the silence that had fallen upon them.

"Yes. Initially the order was small, made up of only elite families that supported the Light. But when Potter fell, all the people that were against Voldemort, and were of the Light joined in, and Guardianship of the entire Order fell to Remus Lupin and has been passed down to his heirs." She explained lightly as the stepped forth from the trees and came upon a fortress which lie at the heart of the forest.

"Welcome, Mr. Black, to Ludacia, Sacred City of Wizarding kind, and now stronghold of the Light." She said as she motioned towards the looming walls that surrounded the place, not able to see anything beyond stone walls that were covered in runology and symbology. Beautiful and that was only the outer wall.

Slowly they approached massive steel gates that bore the image of a phoenix on its surface. Just outside the gates stood two blue robe wearing wizards, who hand their wands trained on Harry since their arrival. "At ease gentlemen. This boy is not the enemy." Eleanor said with a smile and a wave of her hand which caused the two to hesitantly lower their wands.

"Transmit a message up to Lady Lupin. Tell her Eleanor and the last Black have arrived." She ordered causing both the men to look at the boy in shock before the taller of the two hurried to the wall where he tapped one of the symbols before relaying the message.

It took only a few seconds for a response, which came in the form of the Phoenix glowing crimson before the gates slowly swung inwards, revealing a city formed with white marble, bearing much life. Together, he and Eleanor stepped inside, the gates closing behind them.

Eyes and whispers followed the two of them as the made their way up a slopping road, heading towards the palace that lies at the Fortress's center. "Are all these people Order members?" Harry whispered to the woman who merely chuckled.

"Dear me, no! No child is a member of the order, but most of the adults are." She answered as they moved past the courtyard gardens that were blooming before the grand structure. "Come along now. We mustn't keep the High Members waiting; I have a feeling that they are all anxious to meet you."

They ascended the stairs, entered the palace, passed the awe inspiring décor, before traveling up winding passageways, through secret doors and so on, until they arrived in a dark corridor that held only one door at its end. "Ready child?" She asked as they arrived outside a dark wood door.

Harry nodded, and Eleanor swiftly opened the door.

They entered inside.

Before him stood a table, a circular one that reminded him of the King Arthur story that he had heard of while he went to muggle grade school. And at this table sat eight people, four women and four men, and yet four spots at the table remained empty. "Welcome." A female spoke up, her gold eyes regarding the boy before her carefully.

'She's beautiful.' Harry thought with a slight blush as his deep green eyes landed on her pale, slim and curvy form.

"I am Desiree Lupin." She said with a small inclination of her head. "To my right is Draco Malfoy III." She said as she motioned to an elegantly dressed young man, who shockingly looked much as Draco had when he saw the Slytherin last, save a few years older, likely in his twenties. "To his right is Laura Weasley, Eleanor's great niece." She said as Harry's eyes moved to look at the red headed woman, electric blue eyes meeting his.

"Next is Darius Starson." Desiree pointed out the black haired man, whose face was beginning to wrinkle yet his eyes held sharp knowledge and great cunning. "And beside him is Shane Weasley." Eleanor's grandson." She finished with the people to her right, and Harry looked at the last person on that side, noting his hair wasn't quite as red as Laura's nor were his eyes as blue. But he looked strong, physically and magically.

"To my left is Serenity Lupin, my younger sister." Desiree pointed out, noting how eerily similar the two girls looked. "To her left is Jason Wilcock, only living descendant of Hermione Granger." The man was young looking, his hair a dark brown, and his eyes a light grey filled with intelligence much as Hermione's eyes did. "To his left is Kylia Dumbledore." She motioned to a fair young lady, whose eyes were a deep green brown mix. "And finally Ariel Zambini." She finished, motioning to the girl that looked eerily like Blaise Zambini from his world.

"Archaeous Black." Harry said with a slight inclination of his head, eyes looking at the four empty seats. He could guess that one of them was Eleanor's but that meant that they were still missing three people. "A pleasure to make all of your acquaintances." Harry said politely as he met each of their eyes in turn.

"Can you prove you are a Black?" Jason asked immediately as he leaned forwards with interest, looking at Harry as though he was a new mystery that he was determined to solve.

Harry simply nodded as he lifted his hand and showed the Black Signet ring to the gathered group. "By Merlin that looks authentic." Draco the third whispered under his breath.

"Yes and that brother of yours thought the same thing." Eleanor said with a sigh as she eased herself onto the nearest chair and motioned for the world-jumping-boy to sit as well.

"You encountered Cadius?" Draco asked in shock, earning him a nod from the elderly woman as the boy sat down slowly. "What did he do?" He demanded, wondering what his foolish little brother was up to now.

"Well, as you all knew, I was doing a standard check of the Hogwarts ruins-" She was hurriedly cut off.

"That was Hogwarts?" Harry gasped allowed as he jumped to his feet in shock, his hands flat on the tabletop. "That desecrated wasteland?" Harry asked in a quiet voice, earning him nods from the others, along with curious glances. Their silent answers caused him to slump back down and sigh sadly.

"As I was saying, I was doing my routine check in, and I found this boy looking lost within the ruins, and so I offered to take him out and he accepted. Upon our exit we were confronted with Cadius Malfoy, who, learning of the boy's blood status extended a hand to join him and the Dark Lord. The boy beautifully declined him, making me see a flabbergasted Malfoy for the very first time. He fled like a dog with his tail between his legs." She concluded with a chuckle.

"You defied the Dark Lord's right hand man?" Desiree asked in shock, getting just a nod from the boy. "He will seek to destroy you. No one defies him and lives." She whispered was sad eyes.

"Old Tom doesn't scare me." Harry whispered, but everyone heard him.

"Tom?" Jason asked.

"Yeah, Tom Marvolo Riddle." Harry said, earning him blank looks. "You know, Voldemort." He elaborated. "Uh… You-Know-Who." He added after that, gaining him looks of sudden understanding.

"Mr. Black…" Ariel spoke up. "How do you know the name lost to time?" She asked curiously.

"Err… I thought that was common knowledge." Harry answered as his cheeks turned red.

"No… That vile thing's name has been lost for centuries, known only to the Dark Lord himself, and Harry Potter." Darius said quietly.

"Oh…" Harry froze as he looked down at the table top.

"How do you know his name Archaeous?" Eleanor asked kindly as she placed her hand upon his shoulder in a slight squeeze.

"He killed my parents. He killed so many people I cared for. All in an attempt to either hurt me or make me join him." Harry answered cryptically, green eyes staring at the table. "I defied him and opposed him each time. I knew what he needed to know. I knew too much about him and his plans. I was a threat. One that he didn't want to publicly admit to. One that he has kept secret." Harry finished up, hoping that his twisting of the truth would convince them.

"You know some of his secrets?" Desiree inquired curiously, her eyes sharp.

"Yes." Harry replied with a nod. "I know his lineage; I know the origins of his name. I know his past, I know his plights. I know his weakness." Harry summed up quietly.

"When I was twelve I learnt his birth name to be Tom Marvolo Riddle, which if you were to rearrange the letters, would give you 'I am Lord Voldemort.' His mother was the last living descendent of Salazar Slytherin. And she fell for a muggle man, and bewitched him. Taking his seed to make herself pregnant." Harry stated quietly, having heard this tale from Dumbledore.

"She died shortly after her son's birth, naming him after his father before leaving him to the hands of an orphanage. He grew up as a muggle, learning only of his heritage and his abilities when he was given his Hogwarts letter." Harry paused for a breath. "Through school he pretended to be a pureblood, ignoring the taint in his own blood, the very taint that he persecuted others for. In his seventh year he gathered followers, and soon after his graduation he murdered his own father, angered by the fact that the man hadn't loved him or his mother.

"Voldemort rose to power, bringing darkness upon the Wizarding world and tension within muggle plains. But even as strong as he was, he feared something. He feared death, despite Dumbledore's words of 'Death being the next great adventure.' So Tom strove to make himself immortal, he created what Her… what a friend of mine discovered to be Horocuxes." Harry summed up.

"He made himself Horocuxes?" Shane asked his face pale.

"Yes." Harry nodded.

"Do you know how many he made?" Desiree demanded gently.

"I know of only a few. His Diary, which was destroyed by Harry Potter while the boy was in his second year. Gryffindor's Ring. Slytherin's locket. The Cup of Hufflepuff. And his familiar, Nagini. I can safely guess that there is at least one more on that list, something that belonged to Ravenclaw." Harry summed up with a sigh.

"Do you have any idea where the remaining ones are?" Jason asked as he fidgeted in his chair.

"Err… The Locket… Was last in the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix back when Harry Potter was still walking among us. But before he was frozen… I do believe Mundungus Fletcher took it from there and sold it off on the Black Market. As for the Ring it was stolen by Regulus Black before he was executed by Voldemort, its location is unknown now." Harry sighed as he messaged his temples.

"How do you know all this?" Eleanor spoke up, her blue eyes twinkling in curiosity.

"Visions…" Harry supplied quietly. "I've seen into his mind." He finished as he looked off to the side with a sad expression.

"Archaeous!" A giggling voice sounded out, causing all order members to tense and look around with wands in hand. "Sylph wants you to smile!" The little spirit said as she came out from the hood of his cloak, eyes wide, and lip pouting, oblivious to all the gasps that ran through the room.

"I'm not sad, I'm simply remembering." Harry answered his Guardian Spirit with a small smile as he held out his hand, which the creature landed on. "But thank you for your concern."

'_You're spoiling him.' _ Scycath hissed as he slithered out of Harry's sleeve and flew slowly up to Harry's shoulder where he then draped himself across the boy.

'_And you are seeking attention.'_ Harry said with an amused hiss.

"Mr. Black! You are a Parselmouth! And you have a wyvern on your shoulders!" Laura exclaimed in shock.

"I know." Harry said with a small smile.

"I do believe that you are quite an interesting enigma Archaeous Black." Desiree whispered, her eyes regarding the boy and his familiars. "I wouldn't normally do this, but I'd like to offer you a position in the Order of the Phoenix as a higher up. We could use your insight, your knowledge, and your strange abilities to our advantage and maybe tip this long war in the Light's favor." She proposed with determination.

Harry smirked. He hadn't been permitted to join back in his world and in his time, but here he was being offered a chance, one that he would be foolish to miss out on. "Where do I sign?" He asked, invoking a muggle saying that must have died out judging by their confused looks.

"You needn't sign anything." Desiree said slowly.

"It's a muggle saying." Harry said with a shrug. "Tell me, do you have a means to communicate to each other? Like a Chocolate Frog card or something of the same thought?" He asked as he ran his hand over Scycath's tail.

"Right on the money." Eleanor said with an amused grin while Lady Lupin withdrew a chocolate card. "I take it you have more visions than ones related to the Dark Lord." She chuckled in amusement as the young woman handed over the communications device.

"Maybe." Harry answered with a shrug.

"I didn't know there was seer blood in the line of Blacks." Draco admitted with a slight frown. "I do suppose it could be on the side married into the Black." He stated thoughtfully. "Do you know your parents' names?"

Harry shook his head no. "I was raised by a family of muggles that hated me." He said truthfully, sort of enjoying twisting the truth as he knew it.

"Hated you? Why would they hate you?" Eleanor asked with a frown.

"Simple. I was a freak. Able to do unnatural things and see things I shouldn't have been able to see." He said with a shrug. "To them I was little more than a House Elf." He finished with an uncaring shrug.

"How barbaric!" Laura said looking absolutely appalled and had opened her mouth to add something when the door suddenly burst open, emitting two people, two young men.

"Lady Lupin!" A pink haired man began, his purple eyes shinning with triumph. "We did it! We've cured the Savior!" He announced before his eyes fell on the unfamiliar boy and he paled dramatically.

"Jarred Longbottom, meet Archaeous Black." Desiree said with a great smile. "You've managed to heal his body?" She asked after the two nodded at each other, her eyes snapping over to the dark haired, dark eyed young man. "Dylias, will he awaken soon?" She asked calmly.

"Therein lays the problem." The young man said curtly, reminding Harry of someone from his home. "Though we have cured him, we have no knowledge as to how to unfreeze him, even with Hermione's notes." He said coldly.

"May I see the notes?" Harry asked suddenly, causing all attention to revert to him once more, but he didn't notice. Inwardly he knew that since he had personally known Hermione, if not the one from this world, then the one from his home, and he would bet anything that he could understand her notes. After all he had been copying them whenever he had missed classes and was held up in the Hospital Wing, which had been a common occurrence.

"Snape, take the boy down to the Library." Eleanor said kindly, while Lady Lupin nodded in agreement.

Dylias scowled before motioning for the boy to follow him, and follow Harry did.

"You're a Snape." Harry said once they had exited the room, closing the door behind them.

"And you a Black." Snape said back as he led the other downwards.

'Must be hereditary to scowl and be a cold jerk.' Harry thought with a sigh, glad that the Snape of his time wasn't here, and that this Dylias didn't know he was a Potter, or someone he ought hate for reasons beyond his control.

"In here." Snape spoke as he opened an oak door, revealing a Library.

"If her notes are so important, why place them here and not in some hidden vault?" Harry inquired as he eyed the place, noting it was about the same size as Hogwart's Library.

"That would be the obvious course of action." The other man scolded sharply. "No one in their right state of mind would conclude that the notes left behind by the Savior's best friend would have ended up in a Library, the very location she inhabited the most." The man said as he lead the other through various shelves, coming upon a section devoted to self-help where he pulled a book out that was sitting at eye level.

It was a big book. One of the biggest in that section, and he then moved over to a round table where he set it down and opened it, Harry watching in amusement.

Hermione had used the old muggle trick of having a book as a decoy. Set into the book were several parchments with tiny scrawl that looked very familiar. "Her writing, though clear, is cramped, and holds a fair amount of detail. Because of that it has taken many generations to go through, discuss and map out all possibilities. She was somewhat cryptic at points, which is mainly why we stand unable to do anything." Snape concluded coldly before sneering at the boy.

"I highly doubt that you could read, let alone understand such a brilliant mind as hers." Dylias sneered with a smirk, but the other boy ignored it in favor to begin reading through complex explanations, theories, and images.

It was the same as ever. Hermione went in depth, working with all knowledge on a wind spread scale, while sewing it together in a manner that just worked, and all those images where runes, which just so happened to be the base of all magic.

"Ingenious as always." Harry whispered under his breath, yet the other heard him but decided on not asking what he had meant. "Do you have any parchment or quills I could use?" He asked after a moment.

Dylias nodded before procuring said objects and placing them on the table before watching as the Black moved through it, writing chicken scratches all over the parchment. "You have horrendous writing." Dylias commented as he sat himself down at the table with a sneer.

"I figured you'd say that…" Harry muttered as his feather moved across his parchment with great vigor. He knew what Hermione had done, she had written in code, same as what the golden trio of his time did. But he had to hand it to this Hermione; the set up was flawless and would likely take him awhile to solve it.

- - - - - - - - -

"It's been three days; I doubt that whelp will manage to even scratch even the surface of Hermione's ingenious writing." Dylias sneered darkly, as he sat, with his arms crossed, in his place at the circular table, annoyed that a new chair had been added to the table, and it happened to be empty and right next to his own.

"Now Dylias, have faith. That boy must be onto something as he has been at it non-stop since you showed him the documents. He hasn't eaten, or slept, and he refuses to speak to anyone that dare interrupt him." Eleanor chided him gently.

The door slammed open once again, something that seemed a common occurrence since the arrival of their newest member. "I've got it!" Harry exclaimed cheerfully as he brandished several dozen sheets of parchment in his hand. "I've cracked the code!" He said excitedly, sounding as though Christmas had come early.

He moved over to Lady Lupin's side and smacked the papers down. "She used a code that was likely developed between the Golden Trio and used it to write her papers on the spell. Notice how in her writings there were several bold and italicized words used as definitions and such. But place each bold font words together and it makes no sense, until you take the first letter of each used. This translates to 'Tempusoris'. You then take the italicized words and take their last letters which becomes 'Gelare'" He paused to take a deep breath.

"That is the spell, a simple to say one, but very hard to perform. To make the spell you must say the words 'Tempusoris Gelare' sixty-three times, each time emphasizing with your wand ancient runes that was particular to the spell sequence. And if you've noticed, she had one hundred and twenty-six different runes in random orders. The order goes every third one and then every fifth one remaining, followed by the rest in order. Quite ingenious!" He said excitedly.

"That is the spell, and the method of its casting, which brings up the question of how to uncast it or more eloquently put, how to reverse it." He said as he moved several of his own papers away. "At first I thought you'd have to do everything in a reverse order, and that only works for the words, not the symbols. You need to say 'Eraleg Sirosupmet' thirty six times, performing these ruins in sequence. But there is a catch. The person who does the counter spell must be at very least twice as strong as the original caster." He finished with a deep breath, green eyes looking up at the shocked people around him.

"Wow." Laura breathed quietly, as she looked in wide-eyed awe at the boy. "How?"

"How is it that a simpleton managed to crack such an ingenious code as this?" Snape demanded quietly, his voice not holding the bite that it normally did when the young man spoke to the teenager.

"Err… Fluke?" Harry offered up before a large yawn racked his figure. "Well… lets go to the corpse and renew his life." Harry said through a yawn.

"No. You need to rest Archaeous, you've done enough for the past three days. You are to sleep, then eat, before we make plans to move out and attempt the revival." Desiree said quietly, earning her a protest from the green-eyed wonder.

"No! Come on I'm just fine! I have—" His voice broke off as his eyes drifted shut, while he swaggered in his spot before he started to fall, only to be caught by Draco the Third.

"Looks like the boy wore himself out." Jason commented absently as he was flipping through the notes the boy had made.

- - - - - - - - -

"_Die!" Voldemort shouted darkly as he raised his dark wand. "Avada Kedavra!" He shouted, causing a beam of green light to race forth and encompass Sirius, causing the man to fall to the ground dead, his open eyes glazed over and blank._

"_Sirius!" Harry shouted in horror as he struggled against his bindings that held him firmly in place on the black marble alter. "You bastard! How dare you! I'll kill you!" He snarled in rage, causing the man that had forever plagued his existence to chuckle in a twisted fashion._

"_Kill me Potter? You don't have the strength nor the courage to do so. You are helpless." The Dark Lord said mockingly as he motioned for his Death Eater to bring in his next victim._

"_Let go of me you foul man!" Hermione screamed as she was dragged into the chamber, fighting tooth and nail against her captors._

"_Hermione!" Harry cried in horror, his eyes meeting his friend's._

"_Harry!" She called back as she kicked one of the men in the shin, causing the other to release her, but she didn't get away. The man she had kicked backhanded her, sending her sprawling on the ground._

"_Harry…" Voldemort hissed in a sick manner as he looked down at the boy. "What should your dear friend's fate be?" He asked in a calm quiet fashion, earning him the best glare that Harry could muster._

"_Go to hell Tom! Let her go, she's innocent and has nothing to do with this!" The Boy-Who-Lived shouted as he struggled against his bindings, ignoring the pain in all the wounds he had gathered from his earlier attempts at breaking loose._

"_Tsk, tsk Potter." Voldemort chastised as he wagged his index finger at the boy. "Such a foul mouth you have boy, but you have given me an idea to present to Miss Granger." The man chuckled darkly before nodding to one of his men, who moved forward and bound the girl to a column by chains around her hands, and her feet to two separate metal bars that were deeply set in the ground._

"_Lucius my loyal servant. Take away from her what Potter cherishes most." The revived Dark Lord ordered, crimson eyes alight in glee._

_Lucius moved forward, and descended upon the girl. He ignored her struggles, her pleas, her tears and her screams of pain as he rid her of her innocence. Plundering into her ruthlessly, bringing the girl much pain as the man came to his own completion before fixing himself up and returning to his position looking far more relaxed._

_Harry stared brokenly at his broken friend, who lie naked on the ground. The tears were flowing from her darkened eyes, and blood flowed freely from her sacred area. The blood of the innocent had been spilt and Harry was unable to stop it._

"_Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort cried, brandishing his wand upon the girl and killing her instantly. "I am so very charitable. I spared that girl much mental trauma by killing her." Tom said with a smirk as he nodded for the next of his prisoners to be admitted. _

_In came Ron Weasley, bold, strong, and filled with determination. "A Weasley." The Dark Lord chuckled with a deranged smirk as he leveled his wand upon the boy, not noticing that Harry and Ron were exchanging a look. Harry's conveyed deep regret, guilt and self-loathing, while Ron seemed at ease. He was ready to die, and he would not blame his death or the death of others upon Harry._

"_Crucio!" Voldemort shouted, causing the red head to crumble to the ground, screaming in immense pain that seemingly set all his nerves ablaze with fire from hell. And it went on and on for what seemed an eternity, but was only seconds, before he was submitted to it again, over and over again, until the red head had screamed himself hoarse. Until he was broken._

"_Ron!" Harry cried as his eyes met crazed ones. "I'm so sorry." He murmured under his breath as tears flowed down his cheek, watching half hearted as Voldemort creatively tortured each and every person he knew, and some he didn't, in new and painful methods before killing them off and tossing all the spent corpses in a pile._

_Hours passed, and everyone he knew and cared for even slightly, were killed before him, and now the Death Eaters were burning the pile of lifeless corpses. He had failed, they were all dead. "See Potter, you can't win." Lucius muttered in the boy's ear, but Harry ignored him. He felt too cold, too numb to react._

"_Crucio!" Voldemort said as he pointed his wand at his adversary, and watched in great delight as the boy convulsed and screamed in pain, over and over again._

"Archaeous!" A voice struck through the darkness, pulling Harry up from his nightmare and into the arms of his savior. "It was only a nightmare." A quiet voice said soothingly as he rubbed circles over the crying and shivering young man's back. "It was just a bad dream." He repeated as he held the trembling teen to himself.

It took twenty minutes for him to calm down, twenty minutes of whispered words, and kind holding before Harry had finally managed to calm down. "Are you going to be alright?" His savior asked, causing Harry to lean back and regard the man that had awoken him from his nightmare.

"Draco…" He whispered with a small nod as he placed his head on the older man's shoulder and took several deep breaths. "It was horrible… Voldemort… He killed everyone I knew and loved right in front of me. He made them suffer, he tortured them, and he broke them before killing them. Pretending to be charitable. And then he burnt all their bodies and then he turned to me. His last standing enemy and Crucioed me over and over again." The boy- who- lived mumbled into the other's shoulder.

"Hush. It was only a nightmare." The blond offered soothingly as he hugged the distraught boy to himself. "Do you think you can manage to go back to sleep? If not I can give you a dreamless sleeping potion." He offered quietly.

"I'll take the potion." Harry mumbled in exhaustion as the man summoned a house elf to fetch the vial from his stores, and once the creature returned, Draco III helped the young man swallow the potion.

"Please…stay with… me." Harry whispered quietly as he succumbed to darkness that were dreams once more.

- - - - - - -

Harry awoke the next morning, feeling calm and warm. He could recall the nightmare he had before, and he could see it in vivid detail, but he knew it wasn't true. He knew that such a thing wouldn't happen… At least anytime soon, and he would do all within his prowess to prevent such a devastating thing from happening.

Green eyes slowly slipped open, after he had resolved his little debate. His eyes landed upon a white gold color, causing him to blink down at it. 'What…' His thoughts didn't get far before the figure below him shifted, revealing a pale face. 'Draco.' He thought with an intake of breath before his mind reminded him that this was a different Draco. The third Draco in three thousand years.

"Morning." Draco whispered quietly as he opened alert blue-silver eyes that looked up into startled green ones. "I trust you slept well then." He said more so to himself as he sat up, causing Harry to fall into the boy's lap with a blush.

"Err…" Harry whispered embarrassedly as he rolled off the other boy. "I slept well, thank you." He said politely, his eyes belaying his gratitude for the other having stayed with him after his nightmare.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Draco asked softly as he rested his elegant hand on the teen's shoulder.

Harry looked up at the young man and shook his head. "My nightmares are just that, nightmares, they hold no sway over my conscious mind nor over how I live my life." The boy who lived said quietly, his eyes honest. "If it had been one of my visions, as horrid as they generally are, I would have told you any significant meaning that it might have held."

Draco smiled at that. "These visions, do they come to you in dreams?" The blond man asked curiously as he moved off the bed and smoothed several creases out of his black silk pajama pants, making Harry realize that the other had no shirt on. The green eyed teen blushed brighter.

"Yes." Harry answered after having to swallow. "Though… once I did predict something through a crystal ball, but my instructor in the arts didn't believe my words to be true." He explained with a sigh as he got out of bed, and looked down at his blue pajamas that consisted of pants and a button down shirt.

"What did you see in your orb?" Draco asked curiously as he stretched out his muscles.

"The escape of a free creature from the hands of its executioner." He supplied with a shrug before moving over to the dresser and pulling out his robes that, thankfully, the house elves had cleaned for him. He smiled mysteriously at his guest before slipping into the bathing room attached to his sleeping space, leaving the blond alone to his thoughts.

- - - - - - - -

'_They look grave.'_ Scycath commented quietly as Sylph landed on the teen's dark hair, giggling cutely, yet he remained eerily quiet.

"May I ask why you all have such long faces?" Harry inquired as he slipped into his chair beside the descendant of Severus Snape, who merely sneered at him.

"Last night, while you were cuddled into bed Black, the fortress was penetrated. The guards out front were killed; two puncture wounds at their neck shows that it was the work of vampires. But that isn't it, no. They infiltrated, drinking the blood of all that got in their way, bringing our people count down by fifty-seven. And they located Potter's body and stole him." Dylias sneered darkly, black eyes boring into green.

"Did they leave any clues behind?" Draco asked, having entered the room at the same time as Harry.

"None that we can see nor summon." Desiree answered with a deep sigh. "I'm not sure where to start. Vampires have always been 'grey' creatures since the Dark Lord's rise. They followed neither the Light nor the Dark. Why they would steal our savior is beyond me."

Jason tapped his hand against the table. "Maybe, just maybe there is a leak in the Order, and news of the boy's healing along with the discovery reached the ears of the Vampires. And from that they snuck in, determined to keep the boy from reawakening, so that they could balance out the Light and the Dark." The boy deduced thoughtfully, all eyes on him.

"Romania." Harry said moments after a silence had befallen the gathered group.

"So the traitor knows their location." Snape sneered. "I suppose we now know which side Black resides on." He concluded darkly, earning him a roll of the eyes from the teen.

"Think what you will you creepy bat, but I assure you that I am in no way a traitor. I just think that Romania, the place that has the highest Vampiric population, might be a good start." Harry surmised, eyes looking around the table.

"You are surprisingly perceptive Mr. Black." Desiree's sister admitted with a small smile and nod. "And, judging by your scent, you've been around many werewolves. This leads me to believe that you are not prejudice against us." She finished with a smirk.

"You are correct. An old friend of mine is indeed a werewolf." Harry said with a nod before inwardly adding. 'The one who just happened to be your ancestor for that matter.' He smirked before wiping his face blank. "Tell me, was your werewolf blood born into your family?" Harry asked with a slight frown.

"Yes. It has been in our veins dating back to Remus Lupin, the man who had led the order after Dumbledore's fall. He was believed to have conceived the child with the aid of Sirius Black, but seeing as his daughter, Ara didn't receive the title of Black heir, that rumor was tossed off as just being false." Desiree answered simply.

"Sirius and Remus!" Harry exclaimed in wide eyed shock before falling silent. "Wow."

"Now that you've shocked the poor boy, we should decide on the next course of action." Eleanor cut in, her voice turning from amused to sober in mere seconds.

"The best course of action now would to follow even the smallest of leads that we have. Presently, we know that the Savior has been taken by Vampires. And since Romania seems to be the place with highest Vampire population, we'll look there." Desiree said with determination.

"Wouldn't that be the most obvious hiding place?" Laura asked quietly.

"The more obvious the hiding place, the less likely for the object hidden to be found." Dylias said grudgingly, a little annoyed that the Black had thought that up himself, especially when Snape was the one that had pointed that out to him earlier in regards to the documents being hidden in the Library.

"Now, since we can't all leave, we will have to choose six people for this task. I nominate Archaeous Black. I have a gut feeling that he will be a major role in the Savior's retrieval." Desiree added in, her words leaving no room for arguments. "Do we have any volunteers?"

"My bones are too old for a confrontation with Vampires." Eleanor sighed dramatically, her eyes moving over to the empty chair at her side. "I think I'll stay back with my elder brother, who, knowing him, is off womanizing." The old woman sighed sagely.

"I'm going." Jason spoke up, an intrigued light in his eyes. "I think this expedition will be quite educational." He said by way of explanation, earning him several amused looks.

"I'll go as well." Draco the Third spoke up.

"Me too." Shane added.

Silence reigned. "Very well, the other two members will be Dylias and myself, and in my absence my sister will take the reins." Desiree said with finality. "You have one hour to prepare and meet down at the front gates, do not be late." She concluded.

- - - - - - - -

"Welcome to Vampire Central." Desiree stated to her group, her eyes looking about the Black City of immortals, which had a few mortals roaming about. "Watch your necks." She said with a smirk. "Their bite is worse then their bark after all." She said humorously, enjoying playing with the words.

"My, aren't you a fan of puns." Harry commented in amusement as he moved his serpent around his neck and placed his still silent Guardian Spirit on his right shoulder. "And here I thought you only had biting remarks up your sleeve as Snape here does. Which reminds me, Snape, are you a vampire?" Harry questioned innocently.

"No." The man answered tersely, obviously not pleased with having been volunteered for this mission.

"Really? I would have never have guessed. You sort of struck me as a bat, the way you walk, and bring impending doom in your shadow. And how pale your skin is." Harry commented with a thoughtful tap of his chin, ducking under a punch aimed at him. "Temper, temper." The boy chastised as he slipped behind Desiree.

"Impudent brat." Dylias hissed earning him a raspberry from the teen.

"Okay boys, enough bickering, we have work to do." Lady Lupin stated in amusement. "The first thing we are going to do is break into pairs, before looking for information. Remember, use your communication frogs should you either get into trouble or have found something." She explained. "Do not be reckless." She advised before smirking. "Draco and Archaeous are one pair, Jason and Shane the second, leaving Dylias with me." She said before shooing the two other groups off.

Archaeous and Draco the Third headed west, moving through the streets, looking for an interesting place to stop. "So… What's in your pocket?" Draco asked randomly, causing Harry to blink once, twice, then thrice before giving Draco a strange look.

"Did you just ask what was in my pocket?" Harry inquired slowly, earning him a nod from the other. "Err… Why are you so concerned with what lies in my pocket?"

Draco shrugged. "I'm bored, and I am curious." The Malfoy answered half-heartedly.

"Well," Harry began as he slipped his hand into his cloak pocket and pulled it out. "Looks like I have lint, and look at that! More lint!" Harry said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes and blew the dust away. "But enough of that… strange thought, I spot us a peculiar looking Vampire." Harry finished as he dragged the blond behind a barrel and peered over its rim. "And she looks edgy." Harry added with a smirk as he slid his wand from its holster and began tip-toeing after the woman, Draco hot on his trail.

Harry and Draco shadowed the woman closely, careful to be silent and stay down wind so as to not alert her to their presence. They 'chase' went on for quite some time, until they reached a less savory part of the town. The red light district.

The woman unknowingly led the two through the lights and noise, towards the quieter end, where she slipped into a pub, the boys following her a short minute later.

It was a busy place. And it held quite the rowdy lot. But the two order member's ignored that, eyes searching out their target. "There." Draco whispered as he inconspicuously motioned to the woman who slipped to the far end of the bar and watched as she placed her hand upon a still portrait there, before slipping behind the statue of a Greek Goddess.

Draco and Harry exchanged a nod before moving over to the far side of the pub, where they leaned against the wall. Draco then contacted and relayed all that they had discovered through the card, gaining the go ahead to follow and the guarantee that they would be following them in a few short minutes.

"Here goes nothing." Harry muttered as he placed his hand in the same place, causing a small door to open behind the statue, they moved towards it and slipped inside, down a narrow staircase, the door sealing itself behind them and throwing them into darkness.

"I am beginning to think you are one lucky bloke." Draco muttered as they both withdrew their wands and preformed the 'Lumos' spell.

"Lucky, that's quite possible. But, I prefer the term gifted." Harry said with a smirk as they descended stone steps, the only noises being the dripping of water and the soft footfalls of their shoes meeting stone.

They moved downwards for quite sometime, moving cautiously as their eyes managed to see light at the bottom. And they cautiously emerged from the stairwell.

Before them was an empty reception hall, one that vaguely reminded Harry of his visit to the Ministry. It was an exact replica, right down to the Fountain of Brethren. "Copy-cats." Harry mumbled under his breath as they proceeded past the main desk and towards the lift which they entered. The doors closing behind them with a ping.

"So… If you were a vampire, which floor would you hide a stolen corpse on?" Harry inquired conversationally as he looked at all the glowing buttons on the wall before him.

"I wouldn't know as I am not a Vampire." The blond shrugged.

"I said 'if.'" Potter mumbled with a sigh. "I guess we'll just have to search every floor from top to bottom." He said before tapping the highest number on the pad, causing the elevator to tremble before rising up.

The lift took them up four floors before finally opening just seconds after they cast a disillusion spell on themselves. It was a good thing too, just beyond the doors was what looked like a muggle conference room, one that was busy with arguments, discussions and other such business related things. They were lucky no one saw the elevator open, nor close, the two young men not moving from it, as they saw nothing to hint at the Savior being in that room.

They went down one level, coming out in a hall filled with many doors that bore gold insignias. "Looks like the search has begun." Draco muttered in false joy as they approached the closest door on the right.

Slowly they entered inside the room. It was lit by torches, and held a glass case at the center, holding various orbs within it. With a sigh they exited the room and closed the door before moving to the next. They entered room after empty room, before finally reaching the last, both exasperate at their currently fruitless search.

They opened the door and looked inside. It was empty, holding at most dust bunnies. "Who are you?" A voice behind them asked coldly, causing them both to whip around, wands raised at the mysterious man behind him. "Intruders no doubt." The crimson eyed Vampire smirked. "How the blood in your veins sings." He said darkly as he barred his long canines.

"And how your dead flesh chills and rots the air." Harry commented offhandedly as he lowered himself into a defensive stance.

"Touché mortal." The Vampire chuckled darkly as he cracked his knuckles before lunging forward, claws slicing at the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry stepped back, taking four parallel, semi-deep gashes to the stomach, crimson blood flowing in an arch around him, before he rolled to the side, leaving the Vampire to lick the blood from his hand.

"Delicious." He murmured in a sickly sweet tone as he licked his lips, eyes regarding the bleeding teen that had a hand clenched to his bleeding stomach.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" A female voice shouted as she sent a piece of wood into the air before banishing it towards the Vampire, striking him in the back, where his heart lie, causing him to fall to dust. "Are you alright?" Desiree asked worriedly as she raced paced the remains of the Vampire and kneeled down before the Black heir, noting the slowly forming pool of blood beneath the kneeling teen and the paleness of his flesh.

"'Tis but a scratch." Harry said humorously before flinching, just as Snape swept forward and forced several potions down his throat. They tasted horrible, but he could feel them taking effect instantly. The gashes across his stomach ceased to hurt, and he could feel the flesh and muscle mending itself in a tingly fashion. Also, he felt less light headed, and would bet that one of the potions had been a Blood Replenisher.

"You've got to be more careful kid." Shane said as he and Jason slowly approached the four other people. "Vampires aren't to be taken lightly; they are far stronger, faster and smarter than any mortal could dream of being." He berated with a sigh as he held his hand out to the young man, Harry took it, showing he held no grudges for the shard reprimand.

"I've never seen, let alone fought a Vampire before… I underestimated him." Harry admitted.

"Well… There is always a first time for everything." Shane said with a smirk. "But you were lucky this time. It was a good thing that Desiree and Dylias happened upon this level when they did or you might be dead. You're a lucky kid." He concluded.

"Gee, thanks." Harry said sarcastically. "Did you guys check any other floors?"

"We were making our way up from the main floor. There is no sign of the Savior on any of them." Jason sighed. "That means we have the top level and the bottom ones."

"Err… I think we should avoid the top level. It's rather busy up there, but I can assure you that the sarcophagus is not up there." Harry said as he ran a hand over the back of his neck, cringing slightly at the twinge in his stomach from the assault.

"That means we need to go down." Dylias muttered darkly as he glared at the green eyed teen as though everything was his fault.

The group returned to the lift, and rode it down to the floor below the main one.

With a ping, the door opened to a long office room, filled with many stalls filled with Vampires. And they all looked up, before an alarm started to go off, the wailing noise echoing loudly throughout the entire building. "Shit!" Draco breathed as Desiree hit the close door button, while all the males began casting spells out of the metal box, firing unrelentlessly in hopes of thwarting an assault while the doors closed, and closed they did, but not before one Vampire slipped in, and the lift began to descend again.

"Would you look at this?" The vampire said with glee as she bared her fangs at the six mortals. "Fresh prey delivered to my fangs with no charge." She cackled darkly.

"Reducto!" Harry cried, his spell smashing the female right in the stomach, forming a great hole where her abdomen once was.

"Incendio!" Draco called mere seconds later, burning the female vampire, causing her hair rising screeches to rise up as she exploded into molten dust. "Wicked." Draco murmured with a smirk, before their ride suddenly shuddered to a halt and began to rise once more.

"Reducto!" Harry shouted a second time as he pointed his wand at the floor of the rising elevator, blowing a hole through its bottom before peering down. "See those metal slabs on the wall that are spaced out like a ladder?" He asked as he motioned towards them, earning a few nods. "I'm going to levitate you guys down, Draco, mind helping me?" Harry asked, and received a nod before anyone could say anything.

The two simultaneously said "Wingardium Leviosa!" their wands pointed at two separate people. Desiree and Dylias were whisked down and to the side first, though it was slow going so that they wouldn't be dropped. Once safe, they moved Jason and Shane from the cart. Then Harry magiked Draco down before the blond could say anything. The cart was seconds away from the floor with the vampires.

"Archaeous! Hurry up!" Desiree shouted up just as the elevator pinged and Harry leapt from the cart, and freefell down the shaft, casting a reparo over his shoulder at the elevator's bottom, repairing it before the doors slid open, revealing a blank area to all the vampires.

"Archaeous!!" Draco shouted as the teen plummeted past him.

"Arresto Momentum!" Dylias shouted, his wand trained on the boy as he passed his position, effectively slowing the boy down.

Jason then cast the cushioning charm on the ground, pouring tons of force into the spell to make it springier, like a trampoline. Seconds later, the dark haired teen hit it, before being sent back up several meters before falling again, and bouncing a second time but less then half the height of the last bounce.

Harry slowed to a stop, eyes closed and unmoving as the others raced as fast as they could down the elevator shaft, just as the cart above began to descend yet again. "Fuck, who crossed the black cat?" Desiree demanded as she hit the springy ground first and hurried over to the fallen teen, checking his pulse point. "He's just unconscious." She called up at the others.

"Hurry up Malfoy." Dylias called as he reached bottom, dark eyes locked onto the lift which was hurriedly catching up to them before he moved over to the fallen teen and pointed his wand at him. "Mobilicorpus!" He shouted as he trained his wand on Harry, causing the cataleptic teen's body to hover in the air just as Shane blew a hole in the wall behind them, on the opposite side of the doors, revealing a wet cave.

The four slipped out of the shaft, the fifth one floating behind them, just as Draco hit the ground and rolled through the hole. The elevator touched down seconds later, and Shane repaired the wall with a flick of his wand, leaving the six of them standing in a dark and damp cave.

"Well… That was fun." Draco murmured as he brushed dirt and dust from his tailored black robes, grey eyes then drifting to Harry as the other's set him on the ground.

"Enervate." Jason muttered, causing Harry to open his eyes, gasp and suddenly sit up. "Whoa! Calm down, everything is fine." The bookworm said in reassurance.

"Where are we?" Harry muttered as he placed his face against his hand.

'_You fell quite a waysss…" _Scycath hissed as he butted his head against the Boy-Who-Just-Couldn't-Die's cheek, receiving him a pat on the head.

"_I did… How did I survive?" _Harry hissed at his companion, drawing out a sharp intake of breath from Dylias who hadn't heard the other boy speak the snake language before.

"_They usssed magic."_ The wyvern said with a shrug of its black wings before settling itself back down as Harry shakily stood.

"We're in a cave just off the back of the Elevators. Those Vampires are likely scouring the building for us now, meaning we are stuck. There is no way we could go back the way we've come." Jason summed up with a deep sigh, as he looked over at the light that was produced from Lady Lupin's wand.

"Lumos." Everyone else whispered, bringing their wands alight so that they might study their surroundings a little more closely.

"I don't think this is just a cave." Jason said as he bent down and rand his free hand over the ground. "It feels way too smooth to be natural. I think… this is a walkway.' He concluded as he stood back up and pointed his wand to his side, illuminating a passageway that went on for what looked like forever, before he turned to look behind him, finding the same thing.

"Point me." Harry muttered as he placed his wand on his palm and watch as the wand turned to face the left of the elevator. "Well… That's North. And if I remember my muggle studies, if we were to head north we would be moving away from Romania."

"Let's go south." Desiree spoke up, her nose twitching slightly and her golden eyes closed. "I smell lingering scents going that way. It smells as though someone came through here not too long ago, and if we're lucky, that someone had the Savior with them." She explained with a smirk.

They moved south. Down the dark and dreary cave, going only by the lights of their wands which were continually moving around them, searching for any threats, before or behind them, while all of them kept silent, not wanted to make too much noise unless they wake something down there.

Hours ticked by, and still they moved forward in one great line that didn't seem to curve at all. It was rather dull, but the occasional hiss from Scycath provided Harry with entertainment that the others were omitted from.

"Gaaaah!" Desiree screamed as she suddenly vanished from sight.

"Lady Lupin!" Dylias called; his voice urgent as he cautiously moved forward.

- - - - - - - - -

**End of Chapter**


	4. Complicated Webs Part 2

**Disclaimer: **I don't own that which others own.

**Warnings: **Violence, stunts, swears, hints at Slash and so much more.

**An:** Hey guys, thanks for reading and for reviewing. I love hearing your thoughts on these stories of mine. XD It is helpful. Anyways onto the second part of Chapter 2!!!

**Ending of Previous Chapter**

"_Point me." Harry muttered as he placed his wand on his palm and watch as the wand turned to face the left of the elevator. "Well… That's North. And if I remember my muggle studies, if we were to head north we would be moving away from Romania." _

"_Let's go south." Desiree spoke up, her nose twitching slightly and her golden eyes closed. "I smell lingering scents going that way. It smells as though someone came through here not too long ago, and if we're lucky, that someone had the Savior with them." She explained with a smirk._

_They moved south. Down the dark and dreary cave, going only by the lights of their wands which were continually moving around them, searching for any threats, before or behind them, while all of them kept silent, not wanted to make too much noise unless they wake something down there._

_Hours ticked by, and still they moved forward in one great line that didn't seem to curve at all. It was rather dull, but the occasional hiss from Scycath provided Harry with entertainment that the others were omitted from._

"_Gaaaah!" Desiree screamed as she suddenly vanished from sight._

"_Lady Lupin!" Dylias called; his voice urgent as he cautiously moved forward._

_To Be Continued_

**Chapter 2b**

"Who in the hell put a blooming hole here?!?" Desiree growled darkly, as the rest of the group peered over the edge, that lead to a two meter deep hole. "And who in their right mind placed an illusion here to make it seem as though there was a ground here?" She muttered under her breath as she stood and brushed herself off, glaring all around herself.

"That isn't the only one." Dylias spoke up tersely, causing them all to look further ahead where another drop was visible.

"Bloody vampires…" She muttered in annoyance as she moved to the edge of the hole she fell down and peered over. "Shit, there is another one after this one too. Looks like a blooming staircase designed for long-legged giants that have stubby torsos." She huffed with a sigh before motioning for the others to follow her.

Follow they did. But their traveling time was doubled as they slowly moved down the great stairs, helping each other down to the next level, each inwardly praying that they wouldn't have to ascend them later. That would be bloody murder.

"Ninety-four." Dylias muttered out of breath as he leaned against the cavern wall, dark eyes closed, and face flushed. But he was one of the better off. Desiree was the best off, due to her wolf-blood, she wasn't tired in the least, in fact she looked rather refreshed, despite the annoyed look in her eyes. But the rest of the group, they were lying like lumps of boneless flesh, breathing heavily, much to Scycath's amusement.

"Ninety-four fucking steps." The man muttered darkly, black eyes opening to glare at the green-eyed teen as though the whole thing was his fault. How he loathed the dark haired teen, the boy of the prestige Black line.

"Bloody hell I'm out of shape." Harry grumbled between pants, green eyes locked onto the ceiling above.

'_You should be more active.'_ The wyvern commented as he licked the sweating teen's cheek. _'Sssalty.' _He added before he continued to lick his master's neck.

'_Stop that. It tickles.' _Harry said breathlessly, green eyes moving to half glare at his familiar, though it lacked any heat. He was just too exhausted.

"Here." Desiree said quietly as she knelt beside him and pressed a vial against his lips. "It's a pepper up potion. It'll restore your energy." She explained, before nodding in approval as the cub obediently drank the substance down, cause smoke to rise from his ears.

"Thank you." Harry said gratefully before he sat himself up and watched as the leader of the group nodded before moving over to the rest of their companions and giving them a potion as well. Within ten minutes the group was up again, feeling mostly restored. But they knew that the next day would be hell for their muscles.

"Tempus." Shane whispered, causing numbers to rise into the air. "We've been at this for nearly six hours." He said in wide-eyed shock. "No wonder I'm hungry." He added before reaching into his back pack, which was sitting at his feat, before withdrawing a handful of Beef Jerky.

"How can you stand that filthy muggle food?" Dylias asked in disgusted, his nose upturned at the Weasley eating the petrified meat.

"It tastes good." The man answered with a shrug as he took a massive bite from the strip he was gnawing on, just to prove his point to the Snape.

"Will you two stop acting like an old married couple already?" Draco drawled in annoyance as he moved over to Harry and plopped down beside the teen while rummaging through his own bag.

"Shut it Malfoy!" Snape hissed venomously, through his glare was lost on the uncaring blond who was extracting several apples from his bag.

"Apple?" He said as he held out a crimson apple to the teen who accepted it with a small smile and whispered thanks. "So… Where did you grow up?" He asked, breaking the silence that has fallen down upon them all, his question piquing everyone's ears. They were all curious.

"London." Harry answered with a shrug as he bit into his apple.

"London?!" Draco exclaimed in shock before looking at Harry with a peculiar glance. "That's quite strange, seeing as the Dark Lord obliterated the land once known as London… He did that because he wanted to destroy the Savior's home." The Malfoy heir said with a curious tone.

"Not the British London, no I meant the one over in Canada." Harry said with a wave of his hand, hoping they would buy his little lie.

"Canada!" Desiree squealed before pouncing on the boy. "Oh my god!! Really?!?! Canada is so cool! It's one of the only places that the Dark Lord doesn't yet control. He thinks its too bloody cold!" She exclaimed as she pinched his cheeks. "I wish I could go to Canada! I want to see an igloo! And polar bears! Not to mention listen to all their funky accents!"

"How come you sound British?" Jason inquired calmly, eyes calculating the teen.

"Well, my Aunt and Uncle were British muggles that moved to Canada to escape all the freakishness, but they had to take me along. We had initially lived on the coast, but we moved when I was eight and had already established the accent. I suppose I just hung onto it the whole time." He explained before finishing his apple, hoping that there was still an East Coast.

"You're Aunt and Uncle; do they still live in Canada?" Draco asked.

"No…" Harry said quietly as he tossed his apple core into the air before setting it alight with his wand. Green eyes following the burning apple. "They are dead…" He said, not wanting to elaborate as he donned a cold look.

"Now that you all have snacked, I suggest we continue forward so that we might be out of this place sooner rather than later." Snape hissed coldly.

"I do believe you have a good idea there Dylias." Desiree commented as she lopped her arm through his and began to tug the Snape forward, listening to the others as they hurriedly scrambled to get their things together before hastening after the duo.

Hours passed. Seconds trickled into minutes, minutes into hours, and the whole thing felt seemingly endless. They had stopped thrice for sleep and thrice for breaks, then thrice again to each. Days crept by, moving slowly into weeks, and yet they still traversed the same path.

Conversations were short, and tempers rose higher. Things weren't looking well for the six of them, though they did remember to transmit messages to the order headquarters so as to not have them worried about the six of them. But still no one was in the greatest of moods.

On the dawning of the third week, the tunnel began to ascend upwards in a gentle slope, and light was visible at its end. Their footsteps quickened, and their hearts and bodies felt lighter the nearer they got to true light. True sunlight. Around midday they reached the top, climbing out a semi-buried hole in the ground and emerging in the ruins of what looked to be a once grand castle.

"Where are we?" Harry asked as he moved over to a cracked stone pillar that was leaning at a sharp angle and held nothing up. He set his hand on the rough structure, noting the worn pattern upon its surface that must have once been beautiful.

"Looks like Dracula's Manner." Jason mumbled to himself as he squatted down beside a fallen wall, eyes hungrily taking in its detail. "Dracula was once the greatest Vampire, one that had reached a legendary age even amongst his brethren. He was old and respected, but he defied the Dark Lord, and this is what his once glorious home was reduced to. It is rumored that the Vampiric Lord still lives, that he dwells in darkness, waiting." He explained cheerfully as he stood, eyes shooting each way so as to take in all the detail that he could.

"It's a dead end." Snape muttered sulkily.

"Hey, look at this!" Draco exclaimed from up a set of depilated stairs, causing the rest of the group to move towards him in curiosity. They moved up behind the kneeling blond, and looked as he turned around to present to them a tiny white kitten with a pink nose and bright blue eyes. "Isn't she adorable?" He cooed as he nuzzled the purring kitten, earning him incredulous looks.

"Cute!" Harry said as he leaned forward and began scratching the kitten's ear, producing an even louder purr.

The ground suddenly gave way, and all six of them plummeted downwards into a black abyss, kitten in tow.

- - - - - - - - -

"What the hell hit me?" Harry muttered as he slowly opened green eyes to darkness and silence. But that didn't stop his head from aching horrendously.

'_Would you ssstop acting like such a hatchling! Always getting yourself in danger!' _Scycath grumbled as he slithered around the teen's body as though making sure that his human wasn't hurt.

'_Yesss mother.' _ Harry hissed back as he gingerly brought a hand up to rub at the back of his neck.

"Archaeous hurt?" Sylph asked as she landed on top of Harry's head as the boy sat up.

"No Sylph, I'm fine. Don't worry." The World-Jumping-Boy-Who-Lived said in reassurance as he reached up and patted the wispy little Guardian Spirit on top of her head.

"Did we jump again?" Harry asked just as a small meow to his side sounded. "Guess not." He muttered as he picked up the kitten, noting how the little white creature was shaking, obviously scared from her fall. "Hush little kitty, you're alight." Harry mumbled softly as he drew his wand and muttered "Lumos."

Blue-white light surrounded him, allowing him to look at what looked like another cavern. His eyes then moved down, landing upon the prone form of Draco the Third before he rushed over to the blonde's side.

"Enervate." Harry whispered as he pressed his wand against his fallen comrade. Causing the blond to awaken suddenly, and to just as suddenly sit up, bashing his head against Harry's. "My head." The teen groaned as he fell backwards.

"Your head? My head feels as though it just collided with a brick wall." Draco muttered as he rubbed his forehead tenderly before looking over to Harry. "Where are the others?" He asked, eyes looking for any sign of the rest of their group.

"I haven't a clue. When I woke up they weren't here, and I doubt that they landed in the same place as us. They wouldn't have left us behind." Harry said as he placed the little white kitten in Draco's arms.

Draco cursed softly before fumbling through his pocket and withdrawing his chocolate frog card. "Lady Lupin?" He called through it before waiting for several moments. "Lady Lupin do you read me?" He asked again, but silence was his only answer.

"Maybe it's broken?" Harry suggested as he pulled Scycath from his neck and held him in his arms. _'Do you know where they landed?'_ He asked, earning a nod fro his familiar before he set the black wyvern on the floor and motioned for Draco to follow him.

"Is she leading us?" Draco asked as he moved to follow the teen.

"He. Scycath is a he, and yes he is leading us." Harry said as he cautiously climbed over fallen debris. "I think we fell at least a mile down." He commented quietly, while inwardly wondering how they had survived, and while trying to not think about the others being dead from the fall.

They followed the wyvern for a good twenty minutes before they saw light ahead of them, and they hastily hastened their travel time, Harry having picked up his little wyvern so as to go faster. "Lady Lupin." Harry greeted as they came upon the other four members of their ground, standing in what looked like the base of an old, dried out well. It was strange how the cavern connected to it.

"Archaeous! Draco!" She exclaimed before bounding over to them and hugging them both, causing Scycath to slither out of the way and the kitten to jump to the ground. "We thought you were dead! We couldn't reach you on the cards, and we neither heard nor saw any sign of either of you." She said before releasing the two and looking them over.

"Sorry. I think Draco's card is broken, and I can't find mine. I think I lost it back in the Elevator incidence." Harry said embarrassedly as he scratched his cheek.

"It's alright. So long as we are all alright." She sighed before looking up. "That is likely the best way out." She stated looking at the two new comers, the others probably already knew it. "But the walls are to slick with molds and other slimes that it'll be impossible to climb." She said thoughtfully as she rubbed her chin.

"And we can't levitate ourselves out. It's far too high, and I doubt anyone of us has the power needed to get one of us safely to the top, not too mention the entire group including themselves." Jason added in from where he was seated cross-legged on a large grey stone, his fingers drumming absently over his knee while he thought.

A sudden hiss rose from the white kitten as she leapt from Draco's arms and raced through a decent sized hole on the far wall that the two late comers had entered few. "Wait kitty!" The Malfoy heir called before he rushed through the gap on his hands and knees, ignoring the others telling him to forget about the pretty white kitten.

"You and I both know he won't give her up." Harry said with a sigh before he slipped through the hole, using the Lumos spell to lighten up the dark path, as he crawled up into an open circular tunnel that had Draco standing in it, holding the purring kitten to his chest while his wand, still lit up, lie on the ground at his feet.

"Are you done you silly little kitten?" Draco asked jus as the rest of the group trudged up through the cracked hole.

"Looks like that 'silly little kitten', has just found us our route." Desiree commented from her squatting position. "I've found the scent trail." She sad wolfishly, golden eyes glowing in renewed hope. The wolf within was pleased. "We will rest here for now. I want you all to eat then sleep. I'll take first watch." She stated before the group nodded and complied with their leader's orders.

- - - - - - - - - - -

They moved through the new tunnel path for the better part of the next morning, arriving at a dead end come noon, where they all ate their lunches in dismay.

"Something doesn't seem quite right." Jason muttered through a sandwich that he was eating, knowledgeable eyes roving over the expanse of the tunnel within his field of vision. "This tunnel is most definitely not a natural one, judging by its form, and polished edges. So why would someone build a tunnel that leads nowhere?" He voiced thoughtfully before his eyes widened.

"Desiree where does the scent you've been following end?" He asked suddenly as he tossed his sandwich to the side without a second glance.

"There." Lady Lupin answered as she motioned to the wall at her back, while she sat there in a sulking manner, nibbling on a banana.

"Through the wall?" Dylias asked, earning a nod from the only female member of the group.

Shane, Jason and Dylias all moved to the motioned spot, and began poking and prodding at the wall, muttering spells and incantations yet not one of them worked.

Two hours passed before the three men sighed and sat down to glare daggers at the wall that had remained unmoved. "Stupid vampires. Stupid tunnel. Stupid wall. Stupid snake on the wall. Stup—" Jason was cursing, only to be cut off by Harry.

"Snake?" Harry asked, ears perking up at the word before he scrambled over to the wall, deep green eyes searching for the snake before landing on it. Laughter escaped his throat causing Scycath to peek out from the boy's collar.

'_Why are you amused?'_ The wyvern asked as he unfolded his black leathery wings and shook them out.

'_Look. A snake is carved here. It seems relatively random. But its not, no I've encountered something like this before, when I was entering the lair of a Basilisk. It's a guarded password, one that will only be revealed by a Parseltongue password.'_ The teen answered with a smirk as he ran his hand over the miniature carving.

'_A Basilisk!' _His familiar exclaimed in shock as he moved back into the folds of the teen's battle cloak. _'I have no desire to meet with the king of wingless serpents.'_ Scycath hissed with a shiver.

Harry rolled his eyes. Figures that a baby wyvern would fear a giant snake that could kill with just one glance. _'Open.' _He hissed; green eyes locked onto the mini snake carving, noting in amusement as its eyes glowed a brilliant orange causing a section of the wall in front of him to dissolve into dust, revealing a dark slide.

"What is it with snake people and designing entrances in the form of an insane slide?" Harry muttered darkly as he moved to the slide's edge and summoned he bag. Once his items were secure on his back he looked over his shoulder at the others who were regarding him in varying degrees of shock.

"What? I've had a run in with a nutcase that kept his pet Basilisk at the base of a giant slide." He admitted, thinking that was the reason they were looking at him like that.

"You've seen a Basilisk?" Dylias asked in shock. "They are such a rare species, and their parts make many rare ingredients to even rarer potions."

"Really?" Harry asked in shock. "I suppose that when I get back home I ought go back to its chamber and see if I can salvage any parts from its corpse." The green eyed teen mumbled thoughtfully.

"Corpse?" Jason inquired.

"Yeah, it was trying to kill me on its master's orders so I killed it. If it weren't for Fawkes I'd be dead from the poison of its fangs." Harry said absently as he ran a hand over his arm, over the very spot that had been pierced by the venomous fang.

"Fawkes?" Draco asked this time.

"A phoenix." Harry answered before looking down the hole, not seeing their surprised faces. "I'll go down first. If it's safe I'll send up a signal. If nothing comes up in the span of five minutes assume that I am either under heavy assault or am dead." He said just a moment before he pushed off and was engulfed by the swirling dark slide.

"He killed a Basilisk and was healed by a phoenix." Desiree stated in shock. "Just who is this kid? Harry Potter?" She said jokingly while peering down in the darkness, waiting.

"How long has he been down there for?" Draco demanded.

"Thirty seconds." Jason answered with a scowl directed at the impatient pureblood Malfoy heir.

"Don't take that tone with me you mudblood." Draco sneered in annoyance, obviously irked.

"Shut it you two. I hear something." Desiree ordered.

A rumbling sound sounded in the distant as light began to come up from the slide causing the group to pull back just in time, as Prongs leapt forth from the slide before prancing about the tunnel, looking this way and that for the Dementors, yet he saw none so he moved back into the slide, descending back down to its master.

"Was that?" Shane asked.

"A Patronus." Draco finished with wide eyes.

Desiree nodded.

"I want to study him." Jason spoke up with a smirk that looked like an expression from the Malfoy line.

"Shut up and get down the bloody hole." Draco muttered as he shoved the bookworm down the slide, tossing the other's bag right down beside him.

"That wasn't very nice." Desiree said with a sigh.

"I'm a Malfoy. We aren't supposed to be nice." The blond responded with a shrug before he leapt down the slide and vanished.

"Ladies first." Dylias muttered causing the leader to jump in, leaving the two males behind.

"Greasy gits first." Shane said with a smirk, causing the other to glower in annoyance before he slid down, the Weasley hot on his trail.

- - - - - - - - - - -

The group all landed in a great Library, one filled with much dust, and was lit by ever burning torches that lined the walls. "Welcome." Harry greeted from his place on a cushiony chair, a book propped open on his lap. "Welcome to the world's dustiest Library, population: us." He said with a mock bow, causing everyone to look at him in a strange fashion.

"You're acting like a Malfoy." Jason muttered as he glared venomously at Draco the third, his eyes promising revenge.

"Or a Pureblood." Desiree cut in as she moved over to one of the towering book shelves and ran her hand over the spines to remove the dust. "Bloody Merlin!" She exclaimed. "These are very rare texts!"

Jason, like a moth to a flame, rushed to her side and began to inspect the books all around, moving like a giddy child in the candy shop. "These are the lost texts of Elexandria! Merlin's last living relative!" He hissed in shock as he found the achieves and looked them over.

"Just a bunch of dusty old books." Shane muttered with a sigh, earning him many glares as the rest of the group was hurriedly sought through the titles, plucking many volumes off the shelves to skim through, and Harry even managed to slip several into his bag unnoticed.

"This is the greatest dead-end of life!" Jason exclaimed cheerfully.

"Yes. This place is a good place to die." A masculine voice spoke clearly from the shadows, causing the group to all tense and look around the shelf-filled room.

"I agree dearest brother; this is indeed the best place to end one's life." A second male voice cut in, coming from the shadows just like the first.

"Show yourselves." Snape hissed darkly, his wand held firmly in the direction he believed the speakers to be.

"Feisty human." The second voice muttered in what sounded like annoyance. "I have no patience for the likes of you, nor four other members of your group."

"Our interest lies in the one who open this chamber. Who opened it?" The first voice asked softly.

"I did." Harry spoke up in a Gryffindor fashion, green eyes locked onto the shadows to his right, causing chuckles to rise up as one figure emerged from the place the teen was studying.

"You speak the language of the snakes." The male stated, his crimson eyes alight with interest as he walked over to Harry, his tanned self drawing all attention, along with wand-tips pointed at him. Only Harry didn't draw his wand yet.

"That I do." Harry said in return, as he looked at the vampire that stood at very least seven feet, and wore all black. Black breeches and a black button down, long sleeved shirt that was unbuttoned.

"It has been many a millennia since a mortal speaker graced these halls." The Vampire commented with a nod as he circled the boy slowly, causing Scycath to rear his head out of his hidden spot and hiss menacingly at the Dark Creature that fought for the Grey.

The Vampire stopped and locked eyes with the young wyvern. "Quite the rare creature you have about your neck child." He admitted with a deep nod before moving to stand before the Black heir. "I want to fight you."

"And let you have all the fun brother?" The second voice said with a snort as a second male emerged from the shadows, an exact replica of the first, from the golden hair right down to the black combat boots.

"I wouldn't think to hog all the fun." The first said in mock hurt as he placed his hand over his heart. "No, I' simply want to fight this boy, you may challenge the rest."

The other Vampire nodded. "I do suppose that is fair." The second nodded.

"Good. Young Speaker, I am Vlad, Dracula's heir." The first said with a sweeping bow.

"Archaeous Black." Harry said in return, nodding only as he had no desire to bow to a vampire that could use the position to drain him of his life fluid.

"Arsum, Dracula's youngest." The second said as he imitated his brother's bow, but he wasn't graced with greetings nor introductions from the others. Only glares that promised his destruction.

"Not a very friendly lot are they." Arsum muttered dejectedly as he placed a hand on his hip. "Pity you get the polite one."

"Where's the savior?" Desiree demanded shortly, a growl escaping her lips.

"Easy she-wolf, if you truly want to know you must defeat us." Arsum said while making a tsking noise and waggling his index finger.

"Scycath, Sylph, go find somewhere to hide for this. I don't want either of you to be hurt." Harry ordered softly, before repeating his words in Parseltongue before both moved off to abide by his orders. But their eyes showed that they would leap in should they be needed.

"So…" Harry began as he refocused his attention upon the vampire before him. "What's in your wallet?" He asked before mentally slapping himself for his stupidity, but of course his words did bring a few snorts despite the serious situation.

"You stole my line." Draco muttered accusingly with a great Malfoy pout.

"And you are pouting." Harry said in retaliation as he stuck his tongue out, once again reverting his attentions to the Vampire that was to be his opponent.

"Shall we commence?" Vlad asked in amusement as he brought his hand up to lick at his claw-like nails.

And commence they did. Vlad rushed forwards while Harry unleashed spell after spell, incantation and curse after the other, aiming at the ever moving vampire as the two dances about, dodging physical and magical blows while everyone else vanished to them. Making them feel the only one's on the whole thing. Stray spells crashed into walls and bookshelves, blasting wood, stone and paper to pieces, and causing great fires to rise up. Yet neither heard the sharp cry to 'watch the books'.

Harry ducked. Vlad swiped and stepped to the side. The teen flung a semi-dark hex, and the Vampire Heir did a black flip to dodge before moving back up close, only to be grazed by a cutting hex that drew a small trickle of blood. Unfazed he moved closer, swiping his claws over the Black Heir's left arm, but he had barely connected, leaving only cuts in his battle robe and four red welts on his arm.

They danced their dance, dodging behind debris to avoid blows and spells, jumping over fallen rumble to out maneuver each other, and yet, they seemed at a standstill. But that wouldn't last long; after all, Vampire's have greater endurance than mortals…

A punch to the stomach sent Harry stumbling backwards, his left hand clutching at his stomach as he fired a fire spell at the vampire, moving despite the discomfort in his stomach and the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. Especially since he would need CONSTANT VIGILLANCE to survive, just as Moody, false one or not, taught him.

"Serpent Sorcia!" Harry cried as he summoned forth a great snake at least twice the size of its summoner. _'Go. Strike. Bite. Constrict. Destroy.' _Harry hissed to the dark green colored serpent that opened its mouth wide in a great hiss that revealed sharp and dangerous fangs that were literally dripping with poisonous liquids.

It lunged, and Harry backed the scaled creature up with a barrage of various spells to hinder the movement of his nemesis. And work it did, for within minutes the creature had managed to clamp its great jaw around Vlad's Left arm, fangs dug deeply into his immortal flesh pumping poison it's the creature's veins before the snake dragged its head back.

A sickening squelching sound rose in the air, causing Harry to wretch violently to the side as blackened blood squirted and oozed from the stump that was now Vlad's arm. With his last meal purged from his system, Harry looked back towards the Vampire, ignoring the bitter taste of blood and acid that taunted his taste buds like a ghost to a grave only to start dry heaving at he witnessed the snake pluck the arm from its fangs with its tail and swallow it whole.

Once his dry heaves had passed he looked back just as the Vampire tore the Snake's throat asunder, and watched as the creature disintegrated to dust, leaving an angered Vampire glaring at the teen from another world.

'Oops.' Harry thought as he swallowed a lump that had formed in his burning throat. 'I think I made him mad.'

Vlad lunged forward, leaving a trail of stick blood in his wake as he charged at the boy. "Immobulus!" Harry cried in sudden desperation, inwardly knowing that if the ancient creature were to reach him, he would die. He poured a great amount of magic into his spell, causing a shockwave of power to shoot out, freezing the stunned male vampire in its tracks before knocking several large bookshelves over.

The ground shook horridly with their fall, the noise from it was quite loud as well, but nothing was worse than all the dust that rose to the air, thick as smog and just as horrid on the senses. The humans and werewolf were left blind, and Desiree was left to the hands of a great sneezing bout.

Sharp claws entered his stomach in four points, knocking the air right out of his lungs just as the Vampire began to drag his hand to the right. Determined not to die at the hands of Vlad, Harry pulled himself off the moving claws with a suction noise as an arch of crimson blood flew forth, spilling onto the already thick and dusty ground, making the floor slippery, mushy and sticky.

Harry fell back, landing on his butt hard, as he leveled his wand up at Dracula's Heir who stood over him like a looming shadow of death. He wouldn't die here, his emerald green eyes said as much as he glared with determination up at the Vampire, his eyes steel and his wand arm steady as he watched the vampire.

Green clashed with crimson, and on any other occasion their eyes meshing would look quite festive, but this time they were not. Together, they seemed like icebergs colliding. Then Vlad did something that surprised Harry. He smiled; his eyes loosing their cold edge as he reached his blood soaked hand down and offered it to the teen.

"You are remarkably strong young Archaeous." Vlad commented, causing Harry to timidly lower his wand and cautiously accept the offered hand before being hauled up gently, so as to not further open the boy's wounds. "Arsum, relent." Vlad ordered, causing his brother to jump up and perch himself on top of a towering bookshelf in a squatted position, eyes looking at his brother just as the remainder of the dust settled, revealing the Order members all standing there, in various degrees of raggedness.

"Awe… Have I ever told you that you have the worst timing ever." Arsum muttered dejectedly as he jumped and landed catlike behind his brother. "And did you know your arm is gone." He added as an after thought, his clawed finger poking absently at the bleeding wound.

"No! I never would have guessed my arm was gone!" Vlad said sarcastically. "Foolish little brother, don't you know its against the Vampire code of conduct to be obvious." He muttered in annoyance as he waved his hand over his bleeding stump, causing the wound to seal itself.

"Well. Now that my brother has tested your worth, I'm going to feed. All the blood in the air is giving me cravings the size of Rome!" Arsum exclaimed before vanishing in a swirl of shadows, leaving the Order alone with the elder brother who placed his clawed hand over Harry's belly as he forced healing magic into the teen's wounds.

With a tingling sensation, the wounds were healed. "Why did you want to fight if you were just going to heal me in the end?" Harry questioned as the other withdrew his hand from the boy's stomach, crimson meeting green once more.

"I suppose that is a sensible question, and the answer is this: We Vampire's desire peace, quiet and tranquility for the most part, and with this war raging between Light and Dark, we of the Grey feel we must do what we can to decide which side is worthy of winning, so that we won't interfere with them. We find your side most appealing my young warrior. First you made it through the secret base, and then next you went through the Tunnel of Patience, before arriving in the ruins of my ancestral home. After that you proved your luck and happened upon a tunnel lost to time, before being able to open the wall which leads to the lost Library of Elexandria. Pity we destroyed so many of the ancient works.

"And then you fought us, the Rulers of Vampire Society, and you bested us. You may proceed, but I warn you, your trials do not end here. And Archaeous, I sense your path to be longer and far more difficult than any other. I wish you luck. You may proceed." Vlad said with a deep bow before he vanished from sight and into the shadows, leaving the six of them alone in the partly ruined Library.

"Have I ever told you Lady and Gentlemen how much I loath Vampires?" Draco asked dramatically as he placed the back side of his hand against his pale brow with a deep sigh.

"Have I ever told you, that you are a plague on the Malfoy name?" Snape snapped darkly as he nursed a broken wrist with his potions.

"You needn't have told me. After all, had I been a normal Malfoy to the core I would be licking the Dark Lord's moldy boots, which is not as orgasmic as it sounds." The blond said sagely as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind his head.

"Did you know that you just scream gay?" Desiree asked as she wrapped her arm around Draco's shoulder and wiggled her eyebrows in a hinting manner.

"Malfoy's are not gay, and I assure you dear lady that as a Pureblooded Malfoy, and the Heir at that, I'm not gay." Draco the III muttered with a glare that had been passed down through his family line for many generations.

"Denial is not a River in Egypt." The Weasley man said with a smile before wolf-whistling at Draco.

"Weasley! I am by no means gay! Nor am I interested on you!" He huffed in agitation before Harry leaned against a bookshelf that still stood and laughed hard, clutching at his still tender stomach.

"Of course you aren't interest in him!" Jason muttered as he began shoving book after salvaged book into his bag, thankful he was a wizard and could take as many as he could grab for the bag had no limit, not would it become heavy. "You like Archaeous here. I've seen you eying him and his backside, not too mention how you are ALWAYS with him." The know-it-all of that age stated matter-of-factly, earning a glare from Draco, a blush from a stuttering Harry and snickers from all but Snape who bore a refined smirk.

"Shut it worm!" Draco snarled before he spun and thundered off, metaphorical dark clouds spinning over his head.

"He must still be a closet gay." Desiree commented off hand, earning her several blank expressions. "Oh well, he can mope all he want, but we've got to find a way out of here as I seriously doubt we can go back up." She said with a sigh as she cast a wistful glance up at the slide that had brought them down.

'_I do not like Vampiresss...' _ Scycath hissed as he flew over to Harry and coiled himself around his master's neck.

'_You don't like much.'_ Harry commented off handedly as he began roving the horridly damaged chamber, green eyes looking each way for any hint of—

"Hey! There are sarcophaguses here!!" Jason's voice echoed through the room, his child-like joy bouncing off him in vibrant waves.

"You don't suppose there are more Vampires in there do you?" Draco questioned as they all moved to see the ancient wooden coffins with silver images inlayed in their lids.

"Doubtful." Dylias muttered as he and Jason pried the lid off one of these.

"Whoa! Luck much!" Jason exclaimed as he stuck his head inside.

"I always knew you were into dead corpses. What with you always poking and prodding at the Dark Lord's victims." Draco muttered still in a huff.

"Oh shush you!" Jason said with a happy voice as he absently waved his hand in a dismissal-type motion. "As luck would have it, this is the passage way out of this joint." The brain of the group stated matter-of-factly before he knelt down and began crawling inside the sarcophagus.

"We have to go in _there_???" Draco breathed with widened eyes, before his nose moved up into the air in disgust. "It's dirty! And these are expensive and unique robes!" Draco exclaimed quietly as Desiree crawled in next, followed by Dylias and Shane.

"Dirty or not we have to go through there." Harry said with a sigh. "Unless you wish to remain here," he paused and motioned to the ruined library that had to be at least as grimy as the passage to their next location, "but if you stay, you would have to be on your own to fight any stray vampires that might just pop up." Harry concluded sagely before he motioned his two familiars through the passage before squatting down and crawling after them, leaving the Malfoy heir standing there with his white kitten in his arms.

Silence fell. Grey eyes darted this way and that before the hairs on the back of his neck rose and a chill swept down his spin. "Fine!" He huffed before going down onto his hands and knees and crawling through the passage, ushering his little white kitten through the path ahead. "They will _not_ here the last of this! How dare they force a _Malfoy_ to lower himself to the dirty _floor_ then expect him to _crawl_ like a groveling servant!"

"Good of you to join us oh great one." Dylias muttered as the blond pulled himself to his feet and began to scourgify his robes, shoes, hands, and so on, until he felt he was decently clean.

"Silence." Draco hissed with a sneer and a glare as he picked his kitty up and held it closely to his chest, nullifying his attempt at looking threatening. "What is this place?" The Malfoy asked quietly as he looked around the torch-lit room that was made of pure stone. The room was small, and grey, with ever dancing shadows, and on the East wall was one door, and on the West wall was a second one.

Over top of each door was a sentence, The Eastern path read: _'Be bold, be resilient. Darkness lurks within the shadows, and shadows lurk within hearts. The key is lost, so forward must you go. Fear not what you can not see.'_

The Western door read, '_Light I am, guide I do. Wherever there is dark, I follow. I warm the nights, brighten your day, but within me lurks folly play.'_

"Any clues Lady Lupin?" Dylias asked as he looked towards the two paths, a deep set scowl upon his dark features.

"Nothing. It's almost as though this area has been wiped clean of all scents." The she-wolf muttered before kneeling down and eyeing the floor with golden eyes. "There isn't any indication of this area having been walking in either." She concluded with a sigh before righting herself out and closely her eyes. "But I do hear echoes. Distant echoes of thousands of things ricocheting off many walls, mixing and melding together." She finished before looking over at Harry.

Harry blinked in thought as the rest of the group turned to look at him. "What?" He asked.

"Well… Since you seemingly have uncanny luck, I think you should choose the right path." She said with a smirk.

"Then East we go." Harry said after a moment's contemplation.

"That was fast." Dylias muttered while offering the teen a dark glare.

"Yeah well, I think on my feet." Harry retorted before entering into the Easter archway and moving through a flame lit hall before coming upon a large room with seven doors. Two to the West. Two to the East and three to the North.

Just like the first, each passageway bore words of advice over head. "That one." Harry said after having read all the things, and motioned towards the one at the center of the North wall.

'_Tainted souls have ruined us; Humans were the start of the end. They have caused so much damage, the chaos you can't mend.'_

"Why do you keep picking all the ones that sound morbid?" Draco asked with a sigh as they proceeded down that path before coming to a halt before two doors. "You are probably leading us to death." He added on dramatically before smirking. "Let's go this one." He stated cheerfully before taking the path on the right.

'_It is to be our destiny, now, always and forever. Through thick and thin we'll always be together.'_

"No Draco! Not that one!" Harry exclaimed as he raised his wand and tore off after the blond before looking over his shoulder. "Stay here, we'll be right back!" He ordered causing the rest of the group to blink as Harry vanished into the shadows of the winding passageways.

"Cards anyone?" Desiree asked as she withdrew a package of cards from thin air.

"Draco!" Harry called as he raced into a large room, eyes rotating immediately to Draco who was being held in the arms of a Roman statue.

"Archaeous!" Draco gasped as he struggled against his stony captor, grey eyes desperate.

"Reducto!" Harry murmured with a jab of his wand as he blew the Goddess' right shoulder off, gibing Draco enough space to move out of the things arms and scoop up his kitty before racing over to Harry, ducking behind the teen as though seeking protection. "I told you not to go this way." Harry muttered with a displeased look in his green eyes before he dragged the sulking blond back to the group.

"Got any Poltergeists?" Jason asked just as the two of them reappeared in front of the other order members who were playing Wizarding Go Fish.

"You're back." Dylias muttered in disdain as Desiree cleared up all the cards and banished them before they all stood. "So what was down that door?"

"A statue of a Roman Goddess." Harry said with a shrug while moving to the only other door down that tunnel. "It was trying to hug Draco to death." He elaborated as he felt the strange glances that were placed on his back.

"Isn't that an interesting mental picture?" Desire commented offhandedly as they went through the archway after the dark haired teen.

They passed through archway after archway. Saying after saying, and had to double back a few times. They met up with a pit of snakes, which Harry charmed easily with his ability to speak with serpents, passed through a field of ivy, and managed not to fall down a pit trap that was filled with spikes, but it had been a close one. And finally, they reached a grand room.

This room was made of shimmering gold, and bore great artwork masterpieces, and also four doors. Each doors, like all the ones before them, bore something writing over top.

'_I see no difference between friend or foe. I recognize nobody, nobody at all.'_

'_Fall to the ashen ground. You have reached your goal. 'Tis time to meet the dark's master, and to freely give your soul.'_

'_There is no way forward and no way back. What do you truly need and lack?'_

'_Why do I feel like something is a miss? Why do I feel drained of everything bliss?'_

"Two statements, two questions." Harry muttered with a frown before moving to the furthest door to the left, and finding it locked. He then moved to check each door. "Locked." Harry cursed under his breath.

"Alohamora!" Jason spoke up as he tapped his want to the door nearest him, which remained locked.

"Black, Malfoy move to the far left door. Weasley to the one next to theirs, Jason to the far right, and Desiree and I shall go to the remaining door." Snape ordered, and inwardly smirked as they all moved to comply, hoping he was onto something. "My guess is that we must all touch to doors simultaneously."

"Like what our Grandfathers' had to in order to secure the magic of Gringotts." Jason said with wide eyes before smiling.

"On the count of five then. One. Two. Three. Four. Five." Desiree said before they all placed their hands on the doors, causing a resounding grinding sound to rise up, followed by a deep clicking sound that echoed heavily around them.

The doors vanished before they were all sucked into the passageways they were standing in front of.

Harry and Draco landed with a thump on the ground, their familiars hissing their displeasure. "The floor is no place for a Malfoy!" Draco muttered as he pulled himself up, dusted himself off and then offered a hand to Harry, who accepted it with an amused look.

"What in the world are those?" Draco murmured as he motioned towards a large and shinning box that was hooked up to a small black rectangular box that had two tails coming from its front. "Some monster lost to time?" He asked.

"Nope!" Harry said with a chuckle as he moved forward and plopped himself before one of the tails. "That is a Muggle television, and that is a Muggle gaming system. These are controllers." Harry explained as he picked up one of the controller just as the TV turned itself on causing Draco to leap in shock as the picture began to move on the screen.

"It can't be a Muggle thing. It moves!" The Malfoy exclaimed as he wearily sat down beside the dark haired teen.

"Well it is." Harry muttered as he tossed the second controller to the blond, who caught it with only a minimum amount of fumbling. "It's run off of electricity." He explained as a loading screen came on.

"So what are we doing with this muggle thing?" The young man questioned as he gave the 'tail' a scrutinizing glare.

"Obviously we must play and win this game. Otherwise we are to be trapped in here for a long time, or haven't you noticed that there are no doors in here?" Harry asked as the TV displayed two cars, each placed on a half of the screen. "Looks like we have to race and win." He noted with a smirk.

"How?" Draco demanded.

"Press the 'X' button to make it go, and steer with that knobby stick." Harry explained just as the sound kicked in.

They raced.

Hours trickled by, and the moved through race after race, track after track, lap after lap, until finally three hours later they had won every cup, every division and everything they could, thus completed the game and leaving the two of them with cramped digits and aching backs.

But at least the door out appeared, and they hastily left lest they be forced to play more.

They were the last out. "So what did you have to do?" Desiree asked from her position against the far wall.

"Video games." Harry muttered. "You guys?"

"Jason was forced to play ping pong against ever changing opponents. "Shane was made to play some ancient muggle game known as 'Dance, Dance, Revolution. And Dylias and myself had to win a 'Twister' tournament." She said with a sigh.

"Quite ingenious really. The Vampires knew that Wizarding kind is very 'in the dark' in regards to muggle things, especially ancient muggle things. Any normal pureblood would get stuck at mot of these things. If Malfoy had gone in alone, we'd likely be doomed." Jason added matter-of-factly just as a new door materialized to Desiree's left.

"Or Dylias for that matter." Desiree added with a smirk before the group turned and entered the final door, arriving in a simple chamber that had a marble alter at the center, and on top rested a Diamond Sarcophagus.

"The savior!" The group breathed in awe as the members all dropped to a knee where they stood, leaving Harry the only one standing.

Harry blinked, and silently walked forward, peering into the opened top. Inside was himself, looking as though he was merely asleep, yet no movement escaped him, nor any breaths breathed. He looked dead, and would have likely been thought to be if it weren't for his flushed cheeks.

It was strange to see himself in something other than mirrors and photographs. It was a feeling he wasn't quite able to comprehend, but it was similar to his Third Year, yet entirely different as Harry was himself and even if it was him at a different point in time, it was still him. But the Harry that lie in the Sarcophagus was another person altogether. Someone he looked like, well when he wasn't in disguise he looked like the other.

He moved his sleeves up before withdrawing his wand and closing his eyes before following through his calculations. It was time to awaken the other. His wand sliced through various movements as he murmured under his breath the spell needed, just as the others suddenly looked up.

Ten minutes. It took ten minutes to perform the counter to Hermione's spell, and once he was finished, his emerald eyes shot open with great intensity, and a silver light encased the immobile teen, before seeping into the flesh of the fallen Savior.

His chest moved and green eyes fluttered opened before the dark haired Potter of the Past rose up, green eyes locked with ones eerily similar to his own.

Harry felt a tug at his mind before he was pulled from that world in a burst of green light, vanishing. The last he heard was shocked exclamations before darkness covered him a second time.

- - - - - - - - -

**End of Chapter.** Woot! That is the end of Chapter two! Thank you for reading, and I look forward to reading what you think of it, ja for now!


	5. Return of the Dark Lady, Part 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter

**Warnings: **Same as ever

**Pairings: ** None yet, please let me know if you are interested in having some.

**A/N: **Wow! Thank you guys so much for having read and reviewed. It really helps me feel I've accomplished something when I hear your thoughts on this. And so that you guys know, this chapter gave me the giddy sense of wowness when I wrote it! Now on with the chappy!

**Chapter 3a**

Harry fell to the scorching ground, the bitter and dry taste of sand penetrating his mouth before he slowly sat up and wiped his mouth clean. It was hot. Scratch that, it was beyond hot, it was white-hot, and the dark haired teen could feel the sweat rise on him almost instantly. His lungs cried out in protest from the sudden heat, launching him into a coughing attack. Moist lips dried, cracked and bleed within minutes.

'_It's toasty…'_ Scycath commented in sheer pleasure as he basked in the glorious heat that the sun ravished upon the desert.

'_For you maybe, but for me I feel like shit!'_ Harry snapped at his serpent friend in irritation that had been brought forth by the intense heat. "Stupid sun… Stupid sand… Stupid lack of clouds… Stupid everything." He muttered darkly as he forced himself to his feet. He could feel his skin burning already, and his vision grew green.

Harry Potter turned in his place from where he stood, green eyes scanning the golden dunes all around him, squinting his eyes so that he might see beyond the heat waves that were visibly rising from the burning sand. "I see sand every way that I look." He commented dejectedly before he retrieved his wand and began layering his clothing with the most potent cooling charms he knew.

The heat still penetrated his clothing, but it wasn't too unbearable, it was better then before. But his charms did nothing for the intense heat of the air that he was breathing in. He pulled up his hood so that it covered his head, protecting him from the direct heat of the scalding sun.

He attempted to summon water, but it evaporated instantly, leaving his throat parched and his tongue feeling like cotton through the dryer.

It was bloody hell on earth. Harry knew that if he were to stay there, he would die. With that thought he steeled himself and let his gut instincts guide his feet, while his familiars and he walked, floated or slithered through the sand, leaving tracks behind them. Their quest? They were seeking water and a place where they could stay to be protected from the worse of the elements.

Harry inwardly hoped they could find a place before sunset, as he was taught that deserts were like pregnant women. While women expecting children are generally susceptible to mood swings, the weather of a desert was well known for extreme weather changes during the night and day. By day it was a scorching hell, by night an icy cold wasteland. How thrilling this new world was.

He walked. Moving further and further forward, not once looking back. He felt exhausted, but Harry Potter was not one known to give up. So he just kept looking forward, brain unable to think, and his body moving on autopilot. His mind didn't even register the many water filled mirages as he passed them by.

Seconds trickled into minutes, minutes into hours and still he kept moving, though his pace gradually slowed with each step the longer he had been walking. He needed water. He needed it badly. His head was pounding like a tribal drum, and his body ached with sheer exertion.

Green lined the corner of his vision. Black spots danced before his eyes. It was so hot. The sun had just reached its peak.

Steps grew into forced movements, and his feet dragged carelessly in the blistering sands that radiated tremendous amounts of heat into his sore feet. It was way too hot. Scycath had long since fell into a deep slumber after having flown up to the teen's shoulder and Sylph had wilted before she vanished from sight.

Things were looking bleak.

His vision grew steadily more green and black, until he finally was unable to see a thing, but he could still feel his body take a few more steps before his knees met sizzling sand, completely wiping out his cooling charms that buckled and crumbled. Harry knew no more as he sunk into black oblivion out on a towering dune.

- - - - - - - -

Harry's head was pounding thunderously. His throat burned, his tongue felt non-existent and his body felt unresponsive. He ached. Voices filtered around him. Jumbled, twirling, dancing and merging, sounding like nothing more than nothing. Senseless clutter. He knew not the beginning, and he heard no end. Words melded together making new ones, and it moved through his mind, unprocessed before he slipped back into unconsciousness.

- - - - - - - -

Harry came to a second time. His head felt better than it had before, but it still ached. He felt stiff, he felt sore, but he felt decently cool.

"Hey kid. You awake?" A male voice questioned causing Harry to slowly crack intense green eyes open.

Green eyes met concerned brown. "Here, drink this." The deeply tanned man said as he helped Harry sit up before handing him a glass of cool water.

The teen took the glass with quivering hands before slowly drinking down the crystal water. He finished the whole glass without one break. "Where am I?" Harry croaked out, inwardly wincing at the harsh tone his voice held, his throat felt raw.

"Just below the Valley of the Kings. Egypt." The man clarified with a slight frown. "Judging from your accent, I'd say you're British. But that makes me wonder why a boy your age would be wandering about these deserts all alone and on the hottest day we have had out here." The man said thoughtfully as he poured more water into the teen's glass.

"I am British." Harry admitted before frowning. "But I haven't a clue as to how I wound up in the desert today."

"Today?" The man chuckled. "We found you over a week ago. You've been in a feverish sleep for the longest time. Heck we were thinking of radioing a chopper to air-lift you to the nearest Hospital if you didn't break the fever soon." The man admitted as he tucked sun bleached bangs behind his ears.

"Oh…" Harry said intelligently before gulping down some more water.

"You said you didn't remember how you got here, so what is the last thing you recall?"

"I recall going exploring with some friends, but after that I just have a big blank." Harry admitted sheepishly.

"Well that must blow. But hey, until you remember you can hang out with us. Oh! How rude of me! I'm Christopher Stawarz, archeologist extraordinaire." He greeted with a lopsided grin as he offer a tanned and calloused hand to the teen.

"Archaeous Black." Harry said with a smile as he own while he shook the man's hand.

"Strange name." Christopher commented thoughtfully before releasing his hand.

"I know. I have a weird family." Harry admitted sheepishly. "You keep saying we, are there others?" Harry inquired softly.

"Glad you asked! There are eight of us in total." The man began. "I'm the good looking male and the historical brain of the group. Then, there is Erin, she's one fiery girl, but she can decipher anything. Kyla, she's a babe, but she could kick major ass. She is able to squeeze into tiny places, and climb over things that the rest of us can't. The last woman of our group is Shelby. She's the creative one. She can tell you exactly what everything was used for by just glancing at it." He informed Harry. "Then there is Jason, he's rather… interesting. Bit of a fanatic when it comes to shiny things. Matt, my little brother, he's the brains of our operation. Dylan is the raw strength, he can move so much. And finally there is Aaron; he's the scribe that writes down everything in absolute detail." Christopher concluded with a smirk of endearment as he thought over his team and friends.

"So what are you guys looking at here? A lost Tomb of some ancient and not well known Pharaoh?" Harry asked as he looked around the massive sleeping trailer that they were in.

"Nah! Nothing that fun. We found some ancient Greek Temple ruins, which are quite strange to find here in this part of Egypt. So our museum asked us to check the place out and uncover some neat artifacts and such for the museum." The man explained thoughtfully. "So far all we've found was a few columns made of marble." He admitted dejectedly.

"I'd like to see these ruins." Harry declared softly.

"Well," Chris began while shifting in his chair. "I suppose that if you feel well enough tomorrow we could bring you along. We can't tonight as the sun is soon to set and the crew should be back shortly." He paused as he looked out the window, squinting into the distance. "In fact, I think I hear the truck coming back already." He said thoughtfully.

Both males fell into silence as they listened, and seconds later they could hear the distant rumble of an engine that grew steadily louder just as the sun sank on the horizon. The noise grew louder and louder, until it was right next to the trailer, before it vanished, only to be followed by the sound of doors opening and voices filling the air.

The group of archeologists trekked from the vehicle and moved towards the door before entering.

"The J-man has arrived!" A male voice announced as he walked inside with a broad smirk, only to be hit upside the head by a dark haired woman that was glaring daggers at him.

"Shut it Jason! There is a sick boy here remember!" She hissed in a low and dangerous tone, her thick Asian accent making her voice sound all the more condescending.

"It's alright Erin, no need to snap at him." Chris said with a shrug as he stood and motioned at the awake teen. "He's up and eager to join us on the dig tomorrow." He stated just as they all entered inside.

"Oh!" A girl with stylish glasses exclaimed as she looked on at the teen. "I hadn't anticipated him waking up so soon after having heat stroke and dehydration to that extent." She admitted softly before scratching her cheek in embarrassment.

"It's alright. Everyone, this is Archaeous Black." Chris said with a dramatic tone before he pointed to the man that had barged in. "That's Jason McGregory. To his left is the lovely Erin Lloyd. The burly guy is Dylan Maxwell and the chick to his right is the stylish Shelby. Kyla is the kick ass looking girl with the blue shades, and the blond that looks like me is my brother from a different daddy, Matt Duncan. And lastly, that scrawny little guy with the curly hair is Aaron Foorde." Christopher finished his introductions with taking a deep breath.

"I don't think we should bring him to the ruins, he could still be ill and he passed out from the heat already once, we don't need the kid being sick again." Aaron said with a frown on his pale features.

"Dude." Dylan said as he placed a well muscled arm around the thin man's shoulders. "That day was hot. We were stuck here playing cards all day." He said, his blue eyes showing annoyance.

"He's right." Shelby began as she pushed her glasses higher onto her nose. "That day was a scorcher, the hottest day we've ever seen while in these parts. If Kyla hadn't gone to pick up supplies when she did, she wouldn't have been able to return and find the kid lying in the sand." The girl said softly as she twirled long spiral-curled hair absently around her index finger.

"Yeah. Imagine my surprise when I was just a cruising back and saw this dark heap on some dune. I honestly thought I was seeing things. But I was curious so I drove closer. Imagine my surprise at finding a teenager all the way out here." The girl said before she blew a bubble with her gum.

"He can come along. Who knows, maybe he can help us." Matt said with a casual shrug before he moved over to the kitchen section of their trailer. "Who's hungry?"

- - - - - - - - -

The group of archeologists and Harry woke just as the sky turned pink in the distance. They were up, dressed and ready to go just as the sun herself broke the sky, and soon the nine of them were off, driving through the dust, Kyla at the wheel.

Within twenty minutes of driving at a speed that would land someone with an insanely high priced ticket in populated areas, they arrived at the site. "Welcome to our humble ruins." Chris said conversationally as they all pilled out of the massive truck.

Before them was sand. Lots of sand that was still cool as the sun had not yet warmed things up, but she would soon enough. And in the sand stood a tall column that was leaning dangerously to the side. Near the cracked and sand worn column sat chunks of walls.

"It's not much… But we have a theory that there might be more buried within the sand." Matt explained.

"But we won't get our hopes up until we find something substantial." Aaron added in as Harry approached the column at a slow pace. Green eyes were looking at the off-white marble, they were alight with interest.

"Pretty neat isn't it." Christopher said softly as he walked over to where the teen had halted just before the great column, his eyes also looking at the stone with careful interest. "To think, this used to be an establishment. Some great dwelling. In these parts you'd normally only find Egyptian structures, so it's quite something that these Greek designs are here."

"Yeah…" Harry whispered softly in return. "Do you guys mind if I wander around?" Harry inquired as he turned to look at the rest of the crew who were giving him contemplative looks.

"Nah. I think it'll be fine." Kyla said with a shrug before she tossed something at Harry, and thanks to his Seeker reflexes, he managed to catch it. "That's a radio. Use it to contact us if you need to." She explained as Chris plucked it from his hands and placed it over his ear before sticking the box that the ear and mouth piece was attached to, to his pants.

"There. Now behave little man!" Dylan called as he walked over to Harry and gently pushed him in a random direction.

Harry smirked before waving at the group and taking off in a random direction.

The sun rose higher and the air and sand began to warm up quickly, yet it did not get as hot as it had been on his first day there. And his cooling charms stayed with him this time, keeping him at a comfortable temperature._ 'It's about time you got away from those humans. I had quite the time evading them while you were unwell.'_ Scycath hissed as he slithered out of his human's cloak.

'_How sweet! You were worried.'_ Harry gushed; before he began cooing at his familiar while he gently pet the wyvern.

'_Will you stop treating me like a baby?' _The scaled one hissed in annoyance before he fluttered off and began slithering on the ground, moving away from Harry.

'_Scycath! I was only joking! Come back!' _ Harry called after his friend.

Slowly he followed the wavy line through the sand, moving to a rockier hill side that was still visible from the ruins, where the group was dusting away at the column, searching for any details. _'Look at this.'_ Scycath called, causing Harry to duck behind a tall boulder, causing another piece of a column to come into view.

"Wow! I don't think they've found this one yet!" He exclaimed with a happy smirk, and was about to radio the others where he felt his wyvern nudge his ankle with his head.

Harry blinked once, before looking at what his snake was motioning towards. There, at the base of the boulder, where the column met the rock was a decent sized hole that descended down into the ground. It was where the column was coming from.

Curiosity made him cautiously climb down the hole, using the column to guide him as he slid down slowly, causing much dust and dirt to fall with him, the sound ringing eerily, echoing as though the place he was going down to was huge.

Harry slowly reached the bottom, and stood on soft sand. It was dark, the only light was streaming in through the hole he hand entered through, and yet a healthy, cool and refreshing breeze was down there with him. He pressed the button on the black box part of the radio. "Archaeous to base, come in base." Harry said in amusement, having always wanted to say that.

"This is Chris, the world's greatest base-master, what is your status Archaeous?" Chris called through the radio.

"You would never believe what I found." Harry said with a great grin.

"A tribe of gorgeous babes that want to lavish their attentions on me?" The man called back.

"Not even close." Harry said with a roll of his eyes. "Try another column." Harry began, only to be cut off with an excited female squeal.

"You found a column!?" Erin exclaimed happily onto the link. "Where are you? Where is the column? Is it big?" She asked excitedly.

"Well… You guys should follow my trail here. The column is huge, and the chamber it leads to is even bigger, but I need a flashlight so that I might be able to see how big." Harry explained.

"Chamber?!?!?" Shelby cut in.

"Yes. At least I think it is a chamber… can't really tell." The teen admitted. He knew that he could easily use his magic to see, but he figured that he wouldn't do that when he could just use a flashlight once the others got there.

"Hold on kid, we'll be right there." Chris called through; his smile could practically be heard in his voice.

"Don't enter into the chamber, it might not be safe." Aaron advised with seriousness.

"Too late." Harry said sheepishly as he looked back up at the light. "And I don't think I can just… crawl out." Harry admitted as he regarded the tilted column. "Well I might be able to… but that would be one heck of a task." He summed up.

"We'll be right there! Don't move!" Matt added sharply.

Harry waited. For how long, he wasn't sure. But soon enough he heard voices filter down from above.

"Ahoy down there!" Jason called from the top, as his face appeared. "Stand aside and the J-man will be down there right away." The guy said with a smirk before he clambered down the hole and slid down the column just as Harry had, his flash-light illuminating the ground.

"Holy!" Kyla whistled as she slid down with a rope in hand, one that was tied above and would provide them all with a way back out later.

The rest of the group then slid down, and soon the area was lit by flashlights.

They were in what looked to be a grand hall. One filled with many columns, and artworks. Draperies lie in tatters on the ground, and much dirt littered the area. Aaron immediately began taking pictures of things in detail as the group all broke off to look things over, and get pictures of things.

"You sure hit the jackpot kid." Chris complemented Harry as he placed his hand on his shoulder. "Have you ever thought of a career in archeology? With that luck you'd be one hell of a digs-man."

"I've never thought of that before." Harry admitted as he eyed the area in appreciation. "I was thinking of going into law enforcement though." Harry explained thoughtfully as his green eyes landed upon a painting that was partway hidden behind a fallen column.

Curiosity griped him yet again, and he slipped over there, while Chris was occupied with analyzing a piece of pottery shown to him. He clambered silently over the fallen cylindrical stone and dropped to the ground on the other side.

With the lights in the background, Harry could see through the dim lights the image of a lavishly dressed woman who looked very much Egyptian and a man that looked like he was some sort of Gladiator. Below the painting were some strange symbols that Harry did not recognize. "Hey Erin!" Harry called over his shoulder, gaining everyone's attentions.

"Yeah?" The woman called back as she moved towards Harry.

"You can decipher scribbles right?" Harry asked as the group all moved towards them.

"Yup!" She exclaimed as she and the other's joined Harry in front of the painting. Erin immediately went to the text, completely ignoring the image while everyone else focused on the painting.

"It says: 'My dearest princess, how my heart soars now that we are eternally wed together.'" She read with ease before looking up at the image with a frown.

"My guess…" Chris said thoughtfully. "Is that this is part of the myth of two lovers. It's an old and well told tale in many ancient writings in Egypt. It is about the only child of the Pharaoh, a daughter, who had fallen in love with a stranger from Greek. The Pharaoh was against their love for one another, and forbade his daughter from seeing the man.

"But she did not listen to her father's words, and she ran away from the great city, and met up with her lover who had been said to have built a great temple none too far away. They lived in happiness for eleven years, but then, with the birth of their first child darkness descended upon them, and the heavens unleashed their wrath." Chris said as he tapped his chin. "It was said that the temple vanished." He concluded softly.

"Vanished below the sands of Egypt." Shelby commented thoughtfully. "Judging by this, I'd say that this was done at least one thousand years ago. With special paints mixed with fruits and oil." She said as she brushed a corner of the portrait with a swab. "By their appearances, I'd say that this was done right after they ran away together. They look so young still, and the girl is still wearing the garbs of a princess of Egypt." She concluded with a nod.

Soon after Harry, Kyla, Chris, Shelby and Dylan slipped away from the portrait and resumed snooping through the massive room. And they continued for hours, taking things down in great detail.

"Hey guys!" Kyla called to her group. "Come here." She said before flashing her light on and off so that they could all head over there.

"What's up?" Dylan inquired as the group had all arrived.

"Technically it isn't up, but down." Kyla explained as she moved her light to shine upon a nearly completely buried stairway that leads down. "Dylan, after Aaron takes some snap shots, do you mind moving some of this rubble?" She asked, earning a nod from the burly man as Aaron jumped to take more pictures.

With help, Dylan managed to clear the way for them, and Kyla slipped down first, the rest following her down.

The descended for quite sometime, the temperature growing cooler with every few meters down that they went, until they arrived in a storage room that was in pitiful conditions.

"Whoa! Mummy!" Jason exclaimed, as he crouched down beside a well preserved body of what was obviously a young boy that couldn't be older then three. "Strange… You wouldn't normally find a preservation this good in conditions like these." He muttered to himself as he took a few snap-shots of the guy.

"Well… Looks like that story Chris spun might just have been true." Matt commented thoughtfully.

"Yeah…" Shelby said in agreement as she peered down at the prune like young boy, whose eyes were open and still blue, yet dull and dry. "I'd say that they lasted two and a half years before running out of rations down here. And, judging by that cave in we had to unbury, my guess is that he and his family were trapped down here." She summed up before looking around.

"I'd say you're right." Kyla commented from a ways over. "I found the daddy!" She called to them.

"The mummy is here!" Jason said humorously as he waved the others away from the daddy to look at the mommy. "Damn… I've never seen preservation like this." He admitted in awe, as he ran a latex glove covered hand gently over the sheer fabric of the corpse's dress.

"It's quite impressive." Aaron admitted more so to himself. "The museum will love this." He said for the others to hear, earning several murmured agreements.

A light rumbling echoed in the room as a section of the ceiling caved in at the far side of the store room that they were in, causing them all to exchange a look before flicking their flashlights so that they illuminated the ceiling above them.

Thankfully, where they were looked alright, solid, and showed no signs of cracking or strains. "I think it should be safe." Erin commented attentively as she studied the ceiling.

"Hey Matt, what'cha looking at?" Jason asked, causing everyone to look over at the young man who was crouching and looking down at something.

"There's a hole here." He commented. "Looks almost as though they were attempting to dig themselves out of here, but they didn't get very far. Also, they were digging down." He surmised before looking over at Kyla. "Would you do the honors?"

"Sure thing!" The girl said cheerfully as she pulled her dark shades from her eyes and handed them to the leader before slipping down the hole with expert ease, a mini flashlight clenched in her mouth.

Kyla descended at a quick pace, slipping out of their view after several moments. Minutes trickled by with Matt leaning over to peer down the hole attentively while the others continued to scope out the place.

"Hey guys! Guess where this tunnel leads!" Kyla called through the radio. "It leads to what looks like an Egyptian hall of sorts." She explained. "Come on down!" She beckoned over the radio, before the group trudged down the hole, most of them moving with far less grace then Kyla had, and in twice the time they arrived to see the sporty young woman squatting down before a solid gold statue of a jackal.

"Quite neat isn't it." Kyla commented as she peered over her shoulder at the newcomers. "Look at the piece of rubble there, I think that is part of the outer material for this place, looks strange though."

Dylan picked up a chuck of the stuff. "Looks like Onyx…" He commented, causing a thump to sound behind them, drawing all their attention to Chris who had just sat down. The man looked pale, as he looked around the place with wide eyes.

"What is it?" Matt inquired worriedly as he kneeled in front of his elder half brother.

"I once heard a myth. It was during my first dig where I found that Magi Hideout. You guys weren't part of that dig, but I remember it clearly. The locals of the area had many tales in regards to the ruins; one of such was that the Magi there were guarding a highly coveted secret within their walls. And upon a moonless night, they were attacked, the battle that had destroyed them all. It was said that bandits had attacked, ones that were looking for something in particular." Chris began softly as he ran a hand through his pale blond locks, eyes focused on the chunks of black onyx.

"They were said to have been after three pages that the Magi had stolen from The Book of the Dead. Pages that were a great secret. Two pages were said to be a map of three great pyramids, three onyx pyramids." He paused to swallow thickly. "These pyramids were legend to be the final resting place of an ancient and evil sorceress who brought much darkness upon the lands during a five hundred year reign of terror that was said to have been over ten thousand years ago."

Chris closed his eyes and frowned as he slowly regained his color. "The third page was said to be the final words and warnings left behind by the Sorceress herself, but knowledge of that is unknown." He admitted with a sigh as he reopened his eyes. "I remember that little was said about this Dark Sorceress, but one townswoman told me that there was a prophecy of her return, and it is believed that the back side of the third page held the means needed to return her to the living." He concluded softly as he looked around at his friends with serious eyes.

"Looks like we've stumbled upon one myth after the other." Matt commented thoughtfully as he moved over to the wall nearest him, waving Erin over. "Can you read some of these hieroglyphs to see if this is indeed what Chris said it to be?" Matt questioned quietly, earning a nod from the girl who immediately leapt to work, pulling out a pad of paper and pencil from a small sack upon her back.

The sounds of scribbling rose, only to be accompanied by the sound of the cameras taking pictures and the flashes of the cameras and moving lights of the flashlights. "Well…" Erin began slowly as Kyla squatted before the doorway that leads out of the room they were in. "It says: 'The Great Lady has risen to protect, but failed. Her kingdom lies in dark shambles. Her greed corrupted, her desire manifested and darkness befell us. With her perverted thoughts she turned against us. She built two more and linked them together with a great jewel of great suffering. The end draws near. With her foretold death brings the tale of her renewal written within the pages of the book that was once her grandfather's. She will be reborn, and she will conquer then if not stopped.'" Erin finished as she looked up from her scribbles and eyed the rest of them.

"Does anyone other then me get the chills at this whole thing?" Jason questioned softly as he tenderly ran his hand over the golden jackal. "How about we just take this," He motioned towards the statue, "and leave." He said pleadingly.

"Are you kidding!?" Aaron huffed incredulously as he looked at the man petting the gold. "We are onto a major discovery and you just want to bail and take the gold?" The man muttered with annoyance.

"Well." Kyla cut in. "If we continue we'll have to be very cautious. The way out of this room is booby-trapped." She commented as she stood up from peering into the hall beyond.

"Booby-traps?" Shelby asked with a frown. "Why in the world would they have ones outside of this door?" She muttered under her breath as she moved to the other woman's side and peered out, eyes looking for something. "I don't see any traps." She said in a sheepish manner after several moments.

"That's because you aren't looking in the right places." Kyla murmured thoughtfully as she drew out a pencil and sketchbook before plopping down onto the ground and carefully sketching the room beyond. She then withdrew a red pen and added some points onto the room, before adding in green lines, followed by blue. "Okay…" She began, as she motioned for the rest of the group to come over to where she was.

With her flashlight, she pointed at many stylish holes and statues situated within the hall beyond. "My guess is that there are darts of sorts ready to be fired from those holes. Those statues there have opened mouths, which are never seen in Egyptian pieces, meaning something is fired from them. If you look up, you'll see rows of spears that are ready to fall, and should you look at the ground, you'll note that there are several straight crack-like lines running from side wall to side wall, evenly placed throughout the entire hall. Pit falls." She summed up while pointing to each in turn.

"Well that explains why that family didn't go further then this room before returning to their stores room. The Greek man must have seen the traps." Shelby commented softly.

"So how do we get through?" Jason inquired as he plopped himself down. "Oh and what are the triggers?" He asked as an after thought, having remembered the last time he wound up in a place with booby traps; knowing that they all had triggers.

"Well… I'm not so sure." Kyla said as she bit her lower lip.

"Why not send someone through it to set all the traps off?" Aaron suggested with a frown on his pale face.

"Dude. That would be the fastest way to kill someone off." Dylan commented. "I don't think any of us could manage that type of thing. Plus we aren't certain so what sort of darts or things come from the walls and the statues." He added to that while motioning at the hall beyond.

"Looks like we are stuck on the drawing board." Erin muttered dejectedly as the group all moved into a seated circle to discuss things.

But Harry stood at the doorframe, his flashlight running over everything slowly, green eyes taking everything in. His mind measured out distances, patterns and such used in the set up. He felt reckless. He cast a quick glance over his shoulder before he quietly stuck his flashlight on one of the statues that lined the inside of the doorway so that the light shone into the room without him holding it.

Harry took a step into the room beyond and nothing happened. He had thought as much. He had noted that there was a longer stretch in the set up pattern at the beginning. With a smirk he raced off, the ping of arrows echoed ominously as they struck the walls opposite. All eyes turned to him in shock.

"Archaeous!!!" Was the collective shout as they all scrambled to their feet to watch in horror as Harry rolled under a stream of fire that erupted from the mouth of one of the statues, before he jumped into the air just as the ground he landed on fell open to a pike filled pit. Harry landed at the next point and had to throw himself out of the way of the falling spears that were attached to a metal frame as it fell. He then danced around several more arrows before leaping over the low statue that came next, using it to propel him over the larger pit that had opened before he landed and scrambled out of the way of the last set of falling spears.

Harry lay there panting before a whooshing noise had him rolling to his left just as a great axe crashed to where he had been lying mere seconds ago. "Archaeous!! Are you alright?" Chris called out.

"Of course he's not alright! There's no way a kid could make it through that and survive!" Aaron retorted with a worried voice.

"I'm okay!" Harry called as he shakily stood, panting hard as he leaned on the blunt end of the axe and waved at them. "I believe that all traps are now deactivated." He added on before he fell to his bum panting heavily.

His shoulder was burning, and after Harry looked more closely, he saw a cut that had penetrated the cloak of his battle robes and had left a gash well across his arm.

'_Scycath? Are you alright?'_ Harry hissed softly, causing the small wyvern to emerge from his robes and nod before slipping back under just as Kyla peered down from over the axe.

"You are so totally my hero." Kyla said with a smirk as she jumped down beside Harry and offered him her canteen, which he quietly accepted before gulping a few mouthfuls of water down.

"Mine too." Chris added as he leapt down with a grunt. "I've never seen someone move like that before." He stated before he helped Shelby and Erin down, before Dylan leapt down and pulled Aaron with him, Matt and Jason hot on their heels.

"Has anyone told you how reckless you are?" Aaron asked with a frown as he placed his hands on his hips.

"Yup. Plenty of people have. I inherited it from my father, and I also added my own twist of attracting danger to the mix." Harry said with a grin as Dylan pulled him to his feet and dusted him off.

"You're injured." The strong man said in disapproval as he looked at the bleeding cut.

"Yeah. I think one of those arrows got me on the last statue." Harry said sheepishly as Chris carefully helped him remove his injured arm from his sleeve before looking it over.

"After that whole trap set up, one would have thought you'd have taken more damage." Matt commented thoughtfully as he watched as his brother patched up the wound. "Also, I am of the impression that you are used to injuries as you did not notice it." He concluded just as Harry slipped his arm back inside of his sleeve.

"I'm a magnet to danger, and with danger come injuries. Albeit, strange one." Harry admitted truthfully before he stood up and stretched; green eyes moving back to survey the hall they had all just emerged from.

"Well you did good Archaeous." Kyla commented with a cheeky grin before she bounded down the steps before her, flashlight flickering from side to side, top to bottom and was soon joined by multiple other beams of light as the rest of them followed.

"You might need this." Dylan whispered to Harry as he held out the flashlight he had left behind. Harry smiled, took it and nodded his thanks.

They went down at least a thousand steps, before they came to a halt. "I like this room!" Kyla exclaimed happily, the first in line, so the first to see.

"Holy shit." Erin whispered in awe as she peered into the room. Its floor was at least seven meters below the base of the stairways end, and had various wooden spikes with jagged edges facing upwards. "I bet that all those bones down there were from the builders of this room that slipped." She said conversationally.

"Sounds like a dangerous job." Aaron muttered darkly as he took photos of the room.

"No more then ours is." Matt said honestly as he gazed down.

"So now what do we do?" Shelby inquired curiously.

"We scale that edge over to the door." Harry whispered softly, causing all eyes to move to him before looking over to where his flashlight was pointed.

"Shit that's narrow!" Jason exclaimed with wide eyes. "Dylan my man, you might have issues with all that bulk you call muscles." He teased childishly, earning a smack over the head, courtesy of Erin.

"It's booby-trapped." Kyla spoke up suddenly, causing everyone to frown. "Look at the ledge floor," She began as she pointed her light at it. "Notice how the first bit is a solid thing, while the second is covered in design, signifying pressure released traps." She explained before continuing on. "Then there are those three heads, Anubis, Horus and Ra. They likely spurt some nasty thing just as the statues at the last trap did. And finally, if you can see it at this angle, there are lines of holes climbing parallel over the statues top. Something like arrows likely comes out of there." She calculated.

"Damn… There is no way some of us could make it. Heck I doubt most of us could." Chris whistled softly. "And the way you put it, makes it sound as though it'll continue for a long while after set off."

"Yeah…" Kyla muttered with a frown, her light scanning the walls. "There!" She suddenly exclaimed. "That rock is an oddity here. It's the deactivation piece." She said thoughtfully. "The best route to that." She paused as she looked from the wall across from her to scan the way. "Would be to traverse the traps, then use that far more narrow ledge there to ease the way over." She concluded with an excited look which suddenly fell.

"What's wrong?" Aaron asked instantly.

"There's no way I could do that…" She admitted darkly while pouting.

"I'll go." Harry spoke up, drawing all eyes to him.

"No way!" Erin exclaimed hotly. "If Kyla doesn't think she can, I highly doubt a little boy could." She said disapprovingly.

The Potter and Black heir rolled his eyes before he sprang into action, racing off the remainder of the stairway, dodging under Dylan's legs before coming out on the thickest part of the ledge. He then turned to the side, slowing right down as he arrived at the pressure trigger.

"Get back here!" Erin screeched hotly as they all moved onto the ledge, but was unable to race after him since Dylan placed his large hand on her shoulder to hold her in place.

Harry placed his left foot onto the designs before he leaned forward, causing a deep rumbling to occur. Fire began to shoot from the mouths of the three gods, and spikes rammed in and out of their holes at random intervals. "This one is more complicated." Harry muttered under his breath as he noted the tarantulas crawling along the walls.

Slowly Harry moved forward, moving until he was just before the first statue: Horus. There were four spear holes above his head, placed in a long parallel line. The top two shot out at the same time, while the bottom two shot out at a separate time. They remained out of their holes for a good five seconds before slinking back inside while the other two jutted out.

Harry slowly placed his foot on a part of Horus' head and reached up, grabbing a hold of one of the higher spears and hoisted himself up, careful to keep away from the holes and spiders. The top two retreated and Harry had to grip some rocks to hold himself in place while the bottom two came out.

Harry placed his foot on the lower of the two and pulled himself up and over just before they retreated and the other two emerged. He took a deep breath before walking cautiously over to the second head, his hands gripping the wall as he went so as to not chance following off the edge that was only a foot wide.

Next came the Head of Anubis. Above the head of the claimer of hearts were six holes in a parallel line. The bottom two and top one came out at the same time, holding out for only a second before retreating. Then the third from the top came out on its own for three seconds before withdrawing. And lastly the second from the top and third from the bottom came out staying about two seconds before they pulled back.

Harry reached out and grabbed the ear of Anubis and pulled himself over the top in a sliding motion, moving under the single spear that was out, and landing smoothly. He righted himself out before withdrawing his hands just as one of the lower spears came out.

Two down one to go: Ra. Harry approached the head of the god of the sun and smirked. This one would be easiest as the eagle headed god had a loopy snake on his head, one that sat in a circle, leaving a great hole that would allow him to go through and avoid the multitude of spears above. So he clambered through it, and came out on the other side with a victorious smirk.

The smirk vanished though as the part of the ledge that he stood upon gave way, making him fall towards the spikes below. Instincts kicked in, and he hurriedly grabbed hold of the remaining edge, letting himself dangle there above the jagged rocks and pikes below.

"Archaeous!" Chris shouted worriedly as he and the others watched with batted breath.

Harry was panting hard as he held on with one hand, one hand that was itching causing him to look up. A tarantula was crawling on his hand. With a sharp intake of breath, the teen reached up with his other hand and grabbed hold of a sturdy area before he flicked his other wrist to free him of the poisonous eight-legged beast. It went flying.

Slowly he pulled himself up to the edge and then used the rocks of the wall to help him stand and slink past the door and onto a far more narrow edge which he slowly moved down before arriving at a rock which he pushed in, successfully rendering the traps useless.

He moved back to the door he had just passed, while the others slowly navigated the area he had just cleared. "You are one jumping cat!" Kyla complimented Harry as she arrived at the door first, a happy glow shimmering about her.

"You are the man!" Jason exclaimed as he was next to make it over, and he gave Harry a rough pat on the back.

"You're a brash idiot!" Erin sneered with a glare at the young man as she stalked past him and moved into the door frame before pausing. "But you are strong enough to back yourself up." She whispered softly as they all moved to congregate around the newest door.

Matt winked at Harry as he began to descend the stairs beyond the door.

They moved down many steps, passing many sarcophagi that lined the stairwell. "Such a strange place to put these." Shelby commented with a frown as they continued downwards.

Finally they found the door out of the first pyramid and into a long dark tunnel, the only thing separating the sand from their path was the glass archway that was the entire tunnel. "Why hasn't this glass cracked?" Matt questioned softly as he regarded the solid glass with a critical eye.

"Probably some dark sorcery or something." Chris muttered thoughtfully as he stepped into the tunnel and gently set his hand on the smooth surface. "There could be no other explanation. This glass is very thin, yet it doesn't even have a scratch on it from all the weight of sand bearing down upon it." He explained as he pulled out a Swiss army knife and flipped out the knife part, which he then ran over the glass. "Not a scratch." He whispered thoughtfully.

"There is no such thing as magic. Also, how do we know this is glass? According to what I was taught, glass hadn't been made in the era of this pyramid's creation." Aaron interjected with a scowl as he crossed his arms.

"It is glass." Shelby said softly. "But its make is extraordinary." She whispered appraisingly as she ran her hand over it. "Maybe, just maybe magic existed once upon a time. Maybe it was once so great that it wrought forth many incredibly things, but with the years it weakened, growing less powerful until it finally fell into dormancy." She theorized quietly, unaware of Harry's eyes sharply regarding her.

"It is said that the younger you are, the more perceptive you are." Chris said softly before looking at the teen near him. "Archaeous, what do you make of this?" He questioned as he motioned towards their surroundings.

"I think that Shelby has a valid point. Perhaps magic did once exist in great quantities, and perhaps it did indeed grow weaker with time. But I doubt magic could just die out or vanish. I think" He paused in a hesitating manner, "I think that it still exists, but for fear of judgment, it hides." He concluded green eyes looking down into the distance of the pathway.

Silence fell.

"We might as well continue on." Matt commented thoughtfully after a few moments of silence, and within seconds the group was moving on.

The tunnel led them forward in an uncurbed line of blackness. They walked, and walked and walked, making Harry feel as though by the time he returned to his world, that he'd be ready to walk a marathon.

"About time." Erin muttered darkly as they came to the tunnels and came upon a great golden door with the symbol of the sorceress placed upon it in great jewels. It was the image of an onyx pyramid that had wings of pure diamonds extending to the sky, while a sapphire flame burned over top, casting emerald rays all around.

"Holy shit!" Jason exclaimed like a child in a chocolate factory. "I think I'm in love." He whispered with awe as he began petting the shiny door. "Can I take it home? Please?!?" He begged as he turned to look at the rest of his team with puppy-dog eyes.

"Idiot." Aaron and Erin muttered simultaneously.

"I don't think that'll fit in your bag." Dylan commented with all seriousness while Kyla began tapping on the solid work.

"Hey, Erin what does this script at the bottom of the pyramid say?" Kyla asked as she placed her finger just before the beginning of the words.

Erin moved forward and began looking over it. "I'm not sure." She admitted after a few moments. "I've never seen symbols like these." She muttered with excitement as she began copying them down.

"You've never seen them!" Jason exclaimed before nuzzling the door. "Good door! Smart shiny door! Knowing more then our linguist does!" He cooed softly, earning him several doubting looks.

"'By sun of day," Harry's voice cut in, causing them all to look at the teen who was peering over Erin's shoulder. "By moon of night, herein lies our challenge. With blazing fires, and jagged ice, the path is littered with great uncertainty. Through these doors lies our challenge, through these doors lie the path to the fallen Queen. By Magic's hands alone shall she be reborn.'" Harry finished thoughtfully.

"What was that?" Dylan asked with a curious glance at the door.

"Just what that says." Harry said offhandedly. "It's plain old English." Harry said with a shrug earning him incredulous glances.

"No…" Erin began slowly. "That is not English. Those squiggles and swirls are no language known to me." She admitted with a troubled look, causing Harry to do a double take on the door.

Harry frowned, before his eyes widened. "Parseltongue." He whispered in shock, inwardly relieved that he hadn't read that out in the snake tongue.

"Parseltongue?" Erin inquired. "Is that the language?" She asked as she wrote it down in her note book, obviously planning to try and research it.

"It is… But you won't find that language in any books." Harry said softly as he placed his hand upon the flame on the door, causing it to quiver before opening. "It was an ancient language, a very rare one, which only could be spoken by those born with the ability. It can not be taught, it can not be learnt." Harry concluded as he went through the door just as blue flame torches sprung to life in the room beyond the door.

The group of archeologists exchanged a look before they followed inside.

A gasp tore itself for everyone's throat.

"Now do you believe in magic?" Chris whispered in awe.

The nine of them stood on pure white sand that glistened in the torchlight. The air all around them was misty with fog that made it difficult to see too far. Just before them sat a large body of crystal clear water that stood as smooth as a mirror, while in the distance they could hear the muffled sound of falling water.

Kyla pulled a penny from her pocket and tossed it in the water, causing it to ripple as the penny sank visibly to the sandy bottom. "Well… I think we just found ourselves an oasis." She commented thoughtfully as Matt moved forward and scooped some water in a vial which he then tucked into his pocket.

A soft song reached their ears as the waters stilled once more. The sound of a harp traveled clearly across the water, followed shortly by a flute and then a beating drum. The three instruments sang together in a beautiful song, one that sent waves of peace down their spines. "Where does this music come from?" Dylan whispered quietly as though afraid he might ruin the song if he were too loud.

As though to answer three feminine voices began signing with the music, causing small ripples to race slowly across the water. But the louder the song became, the larger and faster the ripples were, until the once mirror like surface was a mess of waves.

In the distance, upon the waves and within the fog came a shimmering outline, one that screamed a golden radiance, and it slowly moved forward smoothly as though it was not deterred in the least by the insane waves that now rampage violently over the water.

The group watched on with tense shoulders, each prepared for some action should this thing be a trap of sorts. Harry on the other hand looked relaxed, but his right hand was up his left sleeve, gripping his wand just incase a threat came that the others wouldn't be able to handle.

A great golden ship with black sails emerged from the mists, the music pouring off it in great volume as the group backed up until most of them were back to back with a wall. As the ship hit the beach, the music stopped and the waters stilled as everything became eerily silent.

"Humans." A tinkling voice spoke out, her words loud and clear, ringing like gentle bells. "The prophesy has come. And soon our Mistress will walk again." The same voice added softly as a golden boarding plank lowered itself from the ship's deck to the sands.

Three beings materialized atop the plank. They were beautiful creatures; even the one with two heads was incredibly gorgeous in a mythical and mysterious way. Harpies. They were harpies, and their wings were magnificent.

"My god!" Dylan breathed sharply, his eyes wide.

"The gods have foretold us of your arrival." The tallest of the three bird-women said softly, her voice tinkling.

"The Knight of Emerald has come to save her." The two headed Harpy said quietly.

As one, the three descended the plank and walked over to the group, the tallest was dressed in sheer pink robes, the two headed one in purple, while the smallest one wore white.

"Child." The one in pink began softly as she brought her winged arm forward so that her clawed hand could rub Harry's cheek gently. "You're destiny is complicated, and long. You have much to do." She said quietly, her pink eyes showing great honesty as she leaned in and pressed her pale lips to his forehead.

"Use our ship." The smallest of the trio spoke up, her voice more angelic then even the angles. "She will bare you through the hardships of this place."

With those words spoken, the three of them brought their winged arms up before leaping into the air and flying away.

"I think we are all suffering from hallucinations." Aaron finally spoke up, while Harry stared off into the distance.

"Why did the babe kiss you?" Jason asked with a pout as he sulked, bringing forth laughter from everyone, including Harry.

"Because I'm just that hot." Harry said before he and the other fell into renewed peels of laughter.

"Does anyone else question the defiance of the laws of physics that this ship harbors?" Aaron questioned softly as he patted the plank of gold that was sturdy and strong, obviously not pure gold.

"Magic." Chris said with a shrug before he clambered aboard with a broad grin.

"There is no such thing as magic. This is all just some vivid hallucination derived from gases locked under ground with us and lack of proper and fresh air." Aaron muttered as he and the others clambered onto the shiny golden boat, Erin dragging the drooling Jason with her.

"So where do you all suppose this boat leads?" Kyla asked softly as she peered over the railing and out into the foggy water filled distance as a wind suddenly swept over them, causing the plank to vanish and the ship to drift out onto the mirror like waters, not even rippling the surface.

"Out into the pyramid." Matt said with a shrug as they drifted into the fog which seemingly grew thicker and thicker the further they went.

The great golden ship moved noiselessly across the mirror-like waters. Inducing not a single sound. The nine of them could see nothing with the fog being so thick that a meter in diameter was all each of them could see.

"What's that?" Kyla's voice whispered in a muffled way, sounding as though she was drowning in the fog itself as it grew thicker and thicker. In the distance a sound was heard, rumbling softly, but the further their ship glided, the louder it became until it was a rushing noise.

"Water!" Shelby exclaimed. "It's a waterfall!" She added on hastily.

"Shit!" Kyla cursed. "Stupid bird women." She muttered before steeling her resolve. "Everyone go and grab a hold of something sturdy, be it the mast or the railings, just do it and do it fast!" She ordered sharply, causing them all to leap into action.

The ship began trembling as the water around them grew vigorously rough. "I can't see the mast or the railing!" Shelby's distraught voice cut in, panic leaking into her words.

"Just follow my voice!" Matt called out reassuringly.

The golden ship began rocking and swaying, jamming left and right, right and left, pitching back and forth, sending all unsecured objects aboard the vessel in all directions; a few things even tumbled overboard. "You guys!" Shelby's voice cried out in panic before she shrieked in horror, her voice growing somewhat distant before it was silenced with a great splash.

"Shelby went over!" Erin screamed out, as she held on for dear life as they pitched dangerously to the port side.

A second scream followed hers, this one also cut off by a splash, but this voice was also masculine.

"Archaeous!" Chris called out, having recognized the young teen's voice.

"No body move!" Matt ordered sharply through the fog, his voice sounding eerily quiet through the fog and crashing waters.

The golden ship lurched suddenly to the side, tipping dangerously, before falling back the other way. Cracking noises ran through the air, hushed by the raging waters as they moved faster and faster, hurling to and fro, whipping back and forth.

The seven still aboard were bashed with moving objects, and splashed with ruthless and icy waters. For them it looked bad, but not as bleak as it did for the two overboard…

Harry was cold. His lungs burned with the salty water he had swallowed and breathed in. He struggled with all his might to stay above the frenzied waves, but the current savagely kept pulling at him, dragging him down mercilessly. The only good thing about being in the water was that the fog only hovered ominously above it by several meters.

He gasped, he panted, he scrambled, he swam, he twisted, and he turned. Yet all his movements were seemingly futile as he was just yanked all around like a child's toy, the waves his master. Green eyes burned with the salt, yet he kept them open. He was Gryffindor. He was brave, and he would not hide, he would fight, and he would survive.

Yet again he was dragged under by the invisible hand of the water, green eyes burning savagely as he glanced around within the clear yet troubled depths. Sinking before him was the curly haired young woman. 'Shelby!' His mind inwardly shouted before he hastily altered his position and half scrambled half swam down to the girl. Fighting tooth and nail with the current so that he might reach her.

His left hand wrapped firmly around her wrist, and he began to struggle towards the surface. His vision was spotted and he knew that he had to get above the water and fast. With sudden desperation he lifted his free arm and pushed his entire mind and will into summoning the ceiling to him. And yet, since the ceiling couldn't move, it was he that moved up, up, and up, shooting out of the water with the unconscious Shelby in tow.

They both flew out of the water before Harry hastily transfigured a piece of wood into a raft and magiked it to be below them as gravity pulled them back down. Both landed upon the black raft.

Just as the ship did, the raft raged back and forth, completely at the mercy of the water, and soon then began moving faster and faster, leaving Harry no time to check over Shelby. Within seconds they hurtled off the end of the rapid flowing waterfall, falling down, down, down and down. Darkness descended upon Harry too as they hit the waters below.

Green eyes snapped open as he sunk lower and lower into the icy abyss of water, brain immediately kicking into overdrive as his body was rushed with adrenaline. He swam to the surface, and he broke the surface, and latched onto a long jagged rock that was a deep blue, while he surveyed the fogless area.

The waters were still raging, and in the distance he could see a whirlpool swirling sharply. Just behind him crashed the waters of the falls into jagged rocks that he thanked his lucky stars that he had missed.

Green eyes scanned the water for his female acquaintance. Yet he saw no sign of Shelby, but he could see the Golden ship not too terribly far to the side, and he debated trying his luck at swimming there.

He decided against it, not trusting the currents or that whirlpool swirling off in the distance.

He was just debating calling out for the ship when Scycath slithered out from his robes. _'Cold.'_ The serpentine creature hissed before snuggling back down just as Harry's rock suddenly shifted rising higher and higher into the air. The dark haired teen held on for dear life as he was rapidly drawn up, and a great serpentine body covered in blue spin spikes rose.

"Holy Sea Serpent!" Harry breathed as he slid down the spine spike, and landed on the slippery snake-like skin as the massive creature reared its head out of the waters with a mighty roar that overpowered the raging falls.

"Archaeous!" Chris' voice rang out after the creature finished its wakening wail.

- - - - - - - - - - -

**To Be Continued in Chapter 3b**

Well that's all for this chapter. I had initially planned to go further than this for this chapter, but I felt it had gotten too long, meaning that this will all fall over into the next chapter. Thank you kindly for reading this, and please review.


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